CHARLESTOWN: Geothermal drilling in Nevis is expected to begin later this year as the island moves closer to developing a renewable energy industry capable of powering both Nevis and St. Kitts.
Nevlec’s General Manager, Ald Stapleton, recently confirmed preparatory work is already underway, with active drilling expected in the latter part of 2026.
The first phase of the project will include five wells – three production wells and two reinjection wells.
Work has already begun at the Hamilton site, where land clearing, road construction and other civil works are now underway.
The drilling phase is expected to last about seventeen months and will involve around sixty specialised workers on site at any given time.
Public engagement activities are also expected to form part of the project, with community meetings, direct outreach, radio programmes and social media updates planned for residents in affected areas.
The long term plan includes major upgrades to Nevis’ electrical network, including a sixty-nine kilovolt transmission ring around the island and new substations to support future energy transfers.
That infrastructure is expected to support an undersea interconnection between St. Kitts and Nevis, allowing excess geothermal energy to be exported across the channel.
A thirty-megawatt geothermal plant would produce far more electricity than St. Kitts and Nevis currently require, creating the potential for Nevis to become a net exporter of renewable energy.
The project forms a major part of the Federation’s sustainable island state agenda and its goal of achieving one hundred percent renewable energy by 2030.
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