Pursuant to the Geothermal Support Partnership Framework Agreement that was signed in September 2014, between the Governments of Grenada and New Zealand, the following components have now been completed:
- Component one – Pre-field work commenced in December 2014 with desk reviews, technical and logistical planning and was completed in January 2015; and
- Component two – Geological and Geochemical surveys commenced in February and have now been now completed. The survey recorded the location, temperature and chemistry of 12 thermal manifestations and reviewed the geology of Grenada. Samples will be sent back to New Zealand for analysis.
During the second component of the assistance, scouting for suitable sites for geophysics tests was undertaken by scientists from Jacobs New Zealand Limited, the firm contracted by the Government of New Zealand to undertake the required work. Such scouting was undertaken in collaboration with local support from personnel familiar with the areas of interest. To date, 50 points have been surveyed, primarily within the northern part of Grenada.
These points will be further analysed during the third component of the surveying, wherein Geophysical analyses will be undertaken. This Component commenced in mid March. In this component it is anticipated that a Magnetotelluric (MT) survey will be undertaken. This is an electromagnetic surveying method used to map subsurface resistivity variations by measuring naturally occurring electric and magnetic fields on the Earth’s surface, and are useful to help determine the presence and extent of the potential geothermal resource. This Phase of the Assessment is anticipated to be concluded by end of April 2015.
The Government of Grenada is confident that harnessing geothermal energy would ultimately reduce Grenada’s overwhelming dependence on imported fossil fuel, leading to a reduction in Grenada’s carbon footprint. The Government takes this opportunity to acknowledge the current initiative of the Government of New Zealand and looks forward to their continued cooperation and collaboration with this initiative.
The Ministry of Finance and Energy takes this opportunity to record its appreciation to the Ministries of Agriculture and Labour; the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF), including the Immigration Division and the Division of Customs and Excise for their support and collaboration in the process thus far.
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