It has been determined that at 2,500 metres below ground that St Vincent and the Grenadines has suitable temperature and permeability to generate geothermal energy.

This report comes two months after exploratory drilling began here at the foot of La Soufriere.

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves said on radio yesterday, while reading from a report he received this week, that at a depth of 2500 meters, the temperature was more than 250 degrees Celsius. He described this as a “great temperature” and said in the geothermal source itself, they have met the first permeability of the soil which was measured at 1.5 litres per second.

The heat extraction procedure requires heat transfer from hot rocks into the circulating fluid. The amount of flow through the rock is determined by the permeability of the bedrock, and it is thus a crucial parameter for the plant’s performance.

The Prime Minister explained that results from the exploratory drilling are fairly compatible with the reconnaissance survey that was carried out prior to the start of drilling.

He said that officials expected the geothermal source to be deep, but it is a little deeper than expected as they intend to go down to 2700 metres into the earth.

And he said drilling will continue in order to benefit from the greater permeability.