Community Members on the Island’s West Coast Attend Key Meetings on the Upcoming Exploratory Geothermal Drilling

The Renewable Energy Sector Development Project (RESDP) is taking monumental steps to reshape Saint Lucia's energy landscape. Spearheading the exploration of geothermal energy on the island’s west coast, the project is committed to advancing Saint Lucia’s transition toward clean and renewable energy sources. The project, a Government of Saint Lucia initiative, held another round of community consultations from August 27th to August 29th, 2024. The third round of community consultations were convened in the project affected communities of Belle Plaine, Fond St Jacques and Saltibus and allowed residents from various communities to participate in discussions about the project's goals, potential impacts, and benefits.

A key speaker during the consultations was Civil Engineer and Consultant, Michele Toniolli  of the Exploration Management Consultant (EMC) which will be responsible for the design, technical support and monitoring and supervision of the exploratory drilling programme. Mr. Toniolli explained the EMC’s commitment to the highest standards of environmental protection.  

“Our company has extensive experience in geothermal projects so we are confident that this project will be very helpful in getting the needed information with minimal impact on the environment and on the communities,” he said.  

Mr. Toniolli, along with members of the Project Implementation Team conducted a thorough briefing of the upcoming project activities with the community. The floor was also open for questions by members of the community.  

Susanne Heim, Principal Co-Owner of Panaroma Environmental Incorporated and the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Specialist and Project Manager, outlined the consultant team’s plan for further assessment of the environmental and social impacts within the project affected communities.  

“At the start of the project, we are going to go out to each of these sites and look at them and evaluate what biological resources there are, what natural habitats exist, and what the air quality is like. We will also investigate if there are any geological resources that we should be aware of as well as the cultural resources and the demographics and economics of the community at large. We then use this as a baseline before the start of the project, then as the project continues, we look at the impact during and after the project. We will also look at longer term issues that can result from the project and we will use international standards that define mitigation measures that will be implemented during the construction and testing process to make sure that the environmental and economic conditions there at the site and in the community are protected and that there is proper compensation,” she explained.  
 

One of the main concerns expressed during the consultations was fair compensation for residents directly impacted by the project’s construction requirements. Ms. Heim expressed the following reassurances.  

“During the Abbreviated Resettlement Action Plan process, we will be coming to the communities, and we will be looking at what the actual cost is to anyone who is affected and making sure that everyone gets just compensation. Therefore, those parties that have land where there is going to be access road improvement or the well pad, if they have any structures on these properties, they will be compensated fairly and be made better off. Additionally, with the environmental impact measures, we will also be doing things like monitoring air and water quality so that this can become a base of information for future projects and future generations,” she concluded.  

Members of the community expressed appreciation for the level of engagement that RESDP has initiated and the willingness of the Project Implementation Team and Consultants to be transparent and share in detail all of the project activities and expectations.    

“The presentation was very informative. Although I have been to most of the meetings and a lot of the information was not new but for the benefit of those who have not attended, I think it was very informative,” remarked one attendee.  

Another attendee noted that, “The presentation was extremely good. I have been to other consultations in the past and I have observed that every time the numbers are increasing. Furthermore, I believe that this would be a very good initiative in the community and by the turnout I can see that a lot of other people are also looking forward to something good in the community”.

With the Exploration Management Consultant’s direction, the project has already made significant strides in both research and the preliminary exploration phases. In addition to technical exploration, the RESDP and EMC is committed to fostering community engagement, ensuring that local stakeholders are involved in the development process.

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