By Capt John
It is obvious that the British Government and DFID, does not want the Government of Montserrat to own the Geothermal Energy Production on Montserrat, very evident by the recent news item on Radio Montserrat ZJB and on the “Spirit of Montserrat” Government web site!!, where they are asking for (EOI) “Expressions of Interest for Geothermal Announced”.
Readers.. Notice that this offer is directed from the Ministry of Communications and Works with no mention of DFID or The Governor’s Office!
Note also that they want prospective applicants to send their EOI to beardsleyr@gov.ms and send a copy to someone in New Zealand mike.allen@extra.co.nz who’s this?
Readers, if you go to MNI Alive website, you can listen to an interview Mr. Jeevan Robinson did with Mr. Andrew Rosindell, a British MP. from the British-Montserrat all Party Parliamentary Group.
I noted that the local radio station ZJB, has yet to play this very important interview for the Montserrat Public to listen too!.
Now if a private entity was to Drill, and then set up a Geothermal Generating Station, they are doing this to make a profit!, so do not expect any reduction of your energy bills. As they will want a profit from Day One!
The Government of Montserrat will ill not start to have to pay for all the electricity that they use. For example Street Lights; Air Conditioning in their Offices, Hospital etc. etc.
The profits from this venture w go into the Governments Bank accounts, to pay it’s workers!; fix the roads; support the hospital/airport, etc. etc. So we will still remain on Granting Aid! Begging for more money to pay our bills, develop and run our island!.
Presently they are speaking of a five star hotel; expensive condominiums and marina’s for Little Bay, expansion/moving the Port to Carr’s Bay!, yet the British Government/DFID cannot see the full value of Geothermal to the future development of Montserrat!.
If the British Government/DFID, was to (as stated several times by British/DFID Officials) fund the drilling and implementation of a 4 to 5 MW. Binary Geothermal Plant, now in the future after this has been done!. The Montserrat Government can be approached by a Private entity to harness geothermal for export, then at that time, they can negotiate this, however All of Our Geothermal (OUR NATURAL RESOURCE) Presently belongs to the Government and Peoples’ of Montserrat!
Now if the British Government /DFID, cannot afford to Pay to drill/harness Our Geothermal, then give the Montserrat Premier, the power/rights to solicit Financial Aid from a Foreign Country!.
So that the poor peoples’ can finally get some break in their extremely high monthly electric bills!
If the Montserrat Government was to own Geothermal, a lot of changes will become evident instantly!, most of the population; bakeries; supermarkets; stores etc. will throw out their gas stoves/ovens/freezers, get larger refrigeration/freezing units/ovens/stoves and they/we will be able import food in bulk, and passing on the savings to the Montserrat Population, the government would be able to install more street lights, etc.
Those five star hotels’ and condo developers, light industry businesses would come to Montserrat to establish businesses here, because of the cheaper electricity, giving a major financial boost to the employment of Montserrat’s residents, which in turn means more tax’s for the Government of Montserrat, this is one of the many ways the Government owning the geothermal on Montserrat, has for boosting the Economy of Montserrat.
DFID/British Government, let us work together to promote our islands Natural Resource!, we have suffered/lost soo much since 1989 with Hurricane Hugo, then in 1995 we have the onset till present of Volcanic activity, our poor residents, have LOST ENOUGH!!, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!
PLEASE DO NOT GIVE AWAY OUR NATURAL RESOURCE “GEOTHERMAL”..
