Geothermal Energy in Sint Eustatius

Abstract
This proposal is all about the benefits of investment for the development of geothermal
energy in Sint Eustatius. Geothermal energy, being a reliable and renewable source of energy,
offers an incredible opportunity for Sint Eustatius to be independent in the energy sector,
enhance energy security, boost economic development, eliminate its carbon emissions, and
step towards a cleaner, greener, and sustainable future.  This proposal presents a
comprehensive assessment of Sint Eustatius's geothermal potential, socio-economic benefits,
ecological advantages, and technological potential, with the support and reference of relevant
research and finding.

1. Introduction
The rapid and increased utilization of fossil fuels linked with anthropogenic activities is
polluting the atmosphere and accelerating global warming by enhanced emission of
greenhouse gases. Many countries have decided to replace fossil fuels with cleaner sources of
energy, commonly named renewable energy, that comes from natural sources, easily accesses
able, environmentally, sustainable and regenerate naturally such as solar energy, wind
energy, geothermal energy, tidal energy, hydro energy etc. Even with a strong interest in
renewable energy, renewable energy at the moment constitutes just a tiny percentage of
global energy production in comparison with power production with fossil fuels. Government
leaders have begun to move along their path of energy transition by adopting renewable
energy with the goal of accomplishing the aim of protecting the environment through
sustainable development. While some countries have an excellent beginning with regard to
the energy transition, some nations, such as the Caribbean regions, are attempting to
substitute diesel or fuel oil with renewable energy, such as geothermal power (Manijean &
Saffache, 2018).

Stint Eustatius is a tiny Dutch Caribbean Island situated in the northeastern Caribbean Sea.
This small island covers an area of about 21 square kilometres with a population of nearly
3,200 people. The residents of this island call it ‘Statia’. It is a Special Municipality of the
Netherlands and sometimes called a ‘Public Body’ or ‘Public Entity’. Sint Eustatius (2020) .
The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture, and Innovation administers energy policy in
the Netherlands as well as manages energy prices of Saint Eustatius. Inhabitants of Saint
Eustatius pay on average 30-35 cents per kWh of electricity to the government-owned utility.
Several Caribbean islands are volcanic and possess significant potential sources of
geothermal energy. Islands like St. Kitts and Nevis and Dominica are planning to primarily
depend on geothermal energy for their domestic electrical needs (Vallvé, 2013).

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 2. Geothermal Potential of Sint Eustatius
The Caribbean region is comprised of 38 islands, and 11 of those namely, St Eustatius, Saba,
Nevis St Kitts, Dominica, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, Grenada, St Lucia, and St Vincent are
volcanic islands (figure 1). Those are formed due to interaction between two tectonic plates
known as subduction, a process in which the North American plate sinks beneath the
Caribbean plate. As a consequence, these islands have geothermal potential and the surface
manifestations of these islands include fumaroles, hot springs, steam vents, mud pots,
solfataras, and steam vents (Manijean & Saffache, 2018).

Figure 1: Volcanoes in the 11 islands of Caribbean (Manijean & Saffache, 2016)

Being a volcanic island located in the Caribbean, Sint Eustatius possesses geothermal
potential because of its geologic characteristics. The island itself was created due to volcanic
activity indicating the presence of subsurface heat sources that could potentially be exploited
to produce geothermal energy. An increase in geothermal activities on the 11 islands of the
Eastern Caribbean has been seen in the past 6 years. According to the calculation of USDOE
these 11 islands are home to 21 volcanoes (listed in table 1) and these volcanoes can generate
16,310 MWe of geothermal energy collectively. Among those 11, one volcano is situated in
Sint Eustatius which could be utilized to generate energy as many islands harness geothermal
energy to meet their energy need. As Guadeloupe trap geothermal energy and convert it into

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electricity. In 2004 it has upgraded its 4.7MWe plant to 15.7MWe (Maynard-Date & Farrell,
2011)

Table 1: List of Caribbean islands and their volcanoes

Country Name of volcano

Saba Mt. Scenery

St. Eustatius The Quill

St. Kitts Mt. Liamuigua

Nevis Nevis Peak

Montserrat Soufrière Hills

Guadeloupe La Soufrière

Dominica Morne Aux Diables

Morne Diablotins

Morne Trois Piton

Wotten Waven/Micotrin

Watt Mt.

Valley of Desolation

Morne Anglais

Grand Soufrière Hills

Plat Pays Volcanic

Complex

Martinique Montagne

St. Lucia Soufrière Volcanic Centre

St. Vincent St. Vincent

Grenada Kick ‘em Jenny

Ronde/Caille

Mt. St. Catherine

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 3. Uses and Benefits of Geothermal Energy in Sint Eustatius
There are several benefits of geothermal energy. The major direct utilization of geothermal
energy in the world includes geothermal heat pumps (GTP), space heating, greenhouse
heating, industrial processes, pond heating, swimming and bathing (figure 2). Multiple
research studies in the literature reveal the benefits of geothermal energy for communities in
Alberta, Canada. And in another study, a ground-based absorbing heat pump powered by an
urban heating system is utilized to heat a public space as it is more energy-efficient and
economically viable (Palomo-Torrejón et al., 2021).

Figure 2: Direct use of geothermal energy around the globe (Palomo-Torrejón et al.,
2021)

Some major benefits are described below:

A. Socio-Economic benefits

Installation and operation of geothermal power plants offer several socioeconomic benefits.
For example, when geothermal power plants are constructed, expenses are incurred for
equipment, services, taxes, and royalties. These costs foster the creation of more indirect jobs,
growth in the economy through more economic activities, and greater tax revenues. In the
end, this minimizes the burden on local taxpayers and the entire community. Job
opportunities includes Jobs in drilling and exploration, jobs in the department of high-tech
production of turbine, generator, and power conditioning components, and jobs in the
maintenance field at geothermal power plants. The salaries given to the labour, technicians
and engineers at the geothermal power plant industries assist in the expansion and growth
of the local as well as regional economy by creating extra revenue and employment.
According to the report of the US-National Renewable Energy Laboratory (2004), in the US
the geothermal energy sector contributes to the generation of $1.5 billion in revenue annually.
In 1996, the entire geothermal energy sector in the US created 27,700 indirect jobs along
with about 12,300 direct jobs.

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Another major and strong economic aspect of geothermal energy is its generation using
indigenous resources or the country's own assets, which results in reduced dependency on
imported energy leading to reducing trade deficits. Lowering trade deficits promotes stronger
economies and preserves earnings in own country. An inspiring example of this is Nevada's
geothermal plants which generate 240 MW of electricity yearly and reduce the import of
energy equal to nearly 800,000 tons of coal or 3 million barrels of oil annually (US-National
Renewable Energy Laboratory, 2004)

B. Environmental benefits
 Geothermal power plants generate fewer emissions

Geothermal power plants do not burn fuel to produce electricity still they emit a minor
concentration of carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide. In comparison with fossil fuel power
plants of equal size, geothermal energy plants discharge 97% lesser sulphur compounds
which cause acid rain and produce approximately 99% less carbon dioxide. Thus, emission of
greenhouse gases (GHGs), gases that rise the temperature of the earth by absorbing heat or
infrared radiation coming from the sun, such as carbon dioxide (major GHG) is minimized by
using geothermal energy for power generation instead of fossil fuels.  Hydrogen sulphide is
naturally present in the reservoirs are removed using scrubbers (US-EIA, 2022).

 Geothermal energy help in combating climate change

Fighting against global warming has been the main emphasis in various international
conferences on the climate and the goal is to control the increase in earth temperature to less
than 2 degrees Celsius by reducing the emission of GHGs such as CO 2 and helping
developing countries in replacing fossil fuel with renewable energy. And it is the time to fight
against climate change as small islands, whether in the Caribbean region or Pacific region,
are the first places to be threatened by the rising sea levels. Utilizing renewable sources can
reduce global warming and save the islands from being submerged in case of a rise in sea
level (Manijean & Saffache, 2018).

 Geothermal power plants recycle resources

 The majority of geothermal power plants recycle the geothermal steam and water by
injecting them back into the ground. This recycling helps in the replenishment of geothermal
resources as well as minimizes emission from geothermal power plants (US-EIA, 2022).

4. Geothermal Potential of Islands Nearby Sint Eustatius

A. Guadeloupe

The first and only island in the Caribbean region to have a geothermal power plant today is
Guadeloupe. The plant's first unit started operating in 1986, while the second unit was

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installed in 2005, raising its capacity to 15 MW and making up 4.7% of Guadeloupe's
electricity production. A plan to expand the plant is also being considered. EDF and the
Bureau de Recherché Géologiques et Minières (BRGM), a French government-owned
geological survey company, collaboratively administered the Bouillante geothermal power
plant. However, because of financial concerns, Ormat Technologies Inc. (Ormat), an
international leader in the geothermal sector participating in several geothermal projects
around the globe, purchased 85% of the company's shares. By 2021, Ormat plans to reach a
total capacity of 45 MW, which will meet 15% of Guadeloupe's electricity needs (Manijean
& Saffache, 2018).

B. Nevis

Nevis is estimated to have geothermal energy potential of 50 MWe. Under a DOE-sponsored

work, INEEL, GMC, and USGIC conducted a preliminary study of the potential for the
extraction of Nevis' geothermal resources. Five sites on Nevis have positive geothermal
indicators. On Nevis’s southern and western sides there are two solfataras, several thermal
wells, and a huge area of hydrothermal alteration (Joseph, 2008)

5. Working Principle of Geothermal Energy Power Plants         

Geothermal power plants (GPP) utilize underground heat to provide steam to the turbine to
generate electricity. According to IEA, geothermal capability is projected to grow 28%,
getting 18 GW, by 2024. The initial costs are very high i.e., the well can cost up to $4 million
each to drill whereas the installation of a home geothermal pump system can cost about
$30,000 (Watson, 2009). There are three types of GPP with distinct working principles
namely, Dry-steam GPP, Flashed-steam, and Binary cycle GPP (Yousefet al., 2021)

i. Dry-steam geothermal power plant

Dry-steam GPP works by drawing steam from underground reservoirs. The steam is piped
straight from wells to the power plant, where it reaches a turbine. The steam rotates the
turbine, which turns a generator. The steam is then condensed and put back into the reservoir
through another well (figure 3 “a”). This type of GPP was used in 1904 in Italy and very
effective nowadays too. The world’s major single source of geothermal energy, the Geysers
in northern California, uses dry steam GPP.

ii. Flashed-steam geothermal power plant

Flashed-steam GPP works by tapping into reservoirs of water with temperatures more than
360°F (182°C). This extremely hot water drifts up through wells under its own pressure. As it
moves towards the surface, the fluid pressure declines and some of the hot water boils or
“flashes” into steam. That steam is then separated from the water and utilized to power a
turbine/generator unit. The condensed steam and residual water are inserted back into the
reservoir via a well (figure 3 “b”).

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 iii. Binary-cycle geothermal power plant

Binary-cycle GPP operates by water at lower temperatures of around 225° to 360°F (107° to
182°C). These plants use heat from the geothermal water to boil a working fluid, usually an
organic compound with a lower boiling point. The working fluid is vaporized in a heat
exchanger and the vapour rotates a turbine. The water is then re-injected back into the ground
for reheating (figure 3 “c”). 

Figure 3: Three types of GPP (a) Dry-steam GPP; (b) Flashed-steam GPP; (c) Binary
cycle GPP (Yousefet al., 2021)

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 6. Suggestions
Based on the benefits and positive outcomes of geothermal energy following suggestions are
significant to consider:

 Geothermal power plants should be installed in Sint Eustatius in order to enhance the
socio-economic condition. As installation and operation of Geothermal power plants
provide more employment opportunities for the citizens and create additional revenue
in the country.
 Since Sint Eustatius is a very small island, the excess energy produced by harnessing
geothermal energy can be easily exported to other islands. This economic activity or
trade of power will generate additional revenues which will result in the economic
progress of the island.
 Sint Eustatius has no apparent surface manifestations. Whereas reports on thermal
waters in two drinking water wells have proposed geothermal activity on the island.
So deep prospecting such as resistivity profile or thermal gradient drilling should be
done to prove more positive results.

Conclusion
Sint Eustatius is continued to be burdened by elevated and unstable fuel prices, poor
economies of scale, and an absence of variety in electrical sources. Thus, geothermal power
plants should be established because it is affordable and sustainable solution to minimize the
dependency on fossil fuel as well as to reduce global warming. Furthermore, it can provide
base-load electricity in order to produce clean energy, reduce the cost of electricity, and meet
demand of electricity.

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 REFERENCES

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Potential in the Caribbean Region. Available at:
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August 2023).

Manijean, L., & Saffache, P. (2016). Geothermal energy slowly makes it entrance in the caribbean
region. Dynamiques environnementales. Journal international de géosciences et de l’environnement,
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Manijean, L., & Saffache, P. (2018, April). The Caribbean Islands Are Tapping Their Geothermal
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