Above: Roseau, Dominica (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit is heading to Paris this week to meet with representatives of the Agence Française de Développement for talks on Dominica’s geothermal project.

Skerritt will lead a delegation including Energy Minister Rayburn Blackmoore, Vince Henderson, Edward Lambert, chairman of the Technical Committee on Geothermal Energy Development and Permanent Secretary in the Energy Ministry Lucienne Blackmoore.

The visit comes about two months after Eletricite de France, the French company that is the world’s largest electric utility, announced it would be withdrawing from Dominica’s geothermal project. The company had originally planned to partner with Dominica on the project and export geothermal energy to neighbouring Martinique and Guadeloupe, both of which were partners on the enterprise.

At the time of the withdrawal, Skerritt vowed to forge ahead with the project.

Dominica said AFD had been a “strong supporter” of the government’s efforts to develop geothermal energy.

The talks will cover the country’s overall strategy for geothermal development and “outline plans for establishing a small power plant to supply electricity to the domestic market,” according to a government statement.

The government said the visit would also focus on setting up a meeting of donors to “invite the country’s development partners to continue their collaboration with the government in developing the island’s geothermal resource.”