St. Kitts and Nevis on the Verge of Unlocking its Geothermal Potential
Unlocking the Power of Geothermal Energy
By Kenneth Williams, Editor-in-Chief
St. Kitts and Nevis could potentially take the number 9 position, just below Italy, but replacing Iceland in the list of the 10 leading geothermal countries in the world, based on installed power generation capacity. This is if Nevis is successful in tapping into geothermal resources known to exist beneath the island.
The Potential is Huge
According to a study done by the United States Department of Energy and the Organization of American States, it is estimated that the geothermal resource available on Nevis exceeds the potential of a more than 900 Megawatts (MW) plant.
The Top 10 Geothermal Countries
According to ThinkGeoEnergy, the leading information services provider for the global geothermal energy sector, in its overview based on installed geothermal power generation capacity as of year-end 2024, the Top 10 Geothermal Countries are:
- United States: 3,937 MW
- Indonesia: 2,653 MW
- Philippines: 1,984 MW
- Türkiye: 1,734 MW
- New Zealand: 1,207 MW
- Kenya: 985 MW
- Mexico: 976 MW
- Italy: 916 MW
- Iceland: 786 MW
- Japan: 601 MW
Current Energy Consumption
Currently, St. Kitts consumes 27 megawatts of electricity at peak period daily, and Nevis approximately 10 megawatts – a total of only 37 megawatts. This leaves availability of at least 863 megawatts of electric power available for sale to neighboring islands, if the aforementioned estimate is accurate.
Geothermal Energy Benefits
With the coming of geothermal energy, electricity rates are expected to see massive decreases. Electrical power will be produced by tapping into naturally-occurring underground reservoirs of hot water or steam – this is pumped to the surface by wells, and the heat from that water turns into steam which drives a turbine to produce electricity through a generator. It is the earth’s internal heat that is converted into usable energy.
Not having to pay for Petro carbons and expenses associated with storing or managing it, the price of electricity to the user could become more affordable.
Conclusion
St. Kitts and Nevis could see an uptick of available technology jobs, as artificial intelligence centers could set up here, and data centers could move their operations to St. Kitts and Nevis due to the enormous amount of energy needed to power dedicated servers.
FAQs
Q: What is the potential of geothermal energy in St. Kitts and Nevis?
A: The geothermal resource available on Nevis exceeds the potential of a more than 900 Megawatts (MW) plant.
Q: How much does St. Kitts and Nevis currently consume in electricity?
A: St. Kitts consumes 27 megawatts of electricity at peak period daily, and Nevis approximately 10 megawatts – a total of only 37 megawatts.
Q: What are the benefits of geothermal energy?
A: Geothermal energy is expected to provide massive decreases in electricity rates, and not having to pay for Petro carbons and expenses associated with storing or managing it, the price of electricity to the user could become more affordable.
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