NIA CHARLESTOWN, NEVIS (October 01, 2026)– The European Union has signalled its willingness to partner with Nevis in advancing the island’s geothermal energy project, including through technical expertise and potential financial support.
A high-level three-member delegation comprising David Mogollón, European Union Head of Cooperation to Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean States; Martino Vinci, Policy Officer for engagement with St. Kitts and Nevis; and Federico Fische of the EU Global Technical Assistance Facility for Sustainable Energy (EU GTAF), met with Nevis Island Administration officials in the NIA Cabinet Room on September 24.
The NIA delegation included then Acting Premier the Honourable Spencer Brand; Legal Advisor Helene Lewis; Permanent Secretary in the Premier’s Ministry Wakely Daniel; and NIA Energy Consultant Dr. Ernie Stapleton.
Mogollón underscored the significance of the discussions and the potential regional impact of Nevis’ geothermal resource, noting that the initiative is important not only to the people of Nevis and the wider Federation, but also to the region, given the potential for other islands to benefit from the energy generated on Nevis.
“The European Union is ready to partner and support this initiative and for that we are discussing with all the right stakeholders…because we are ready to bring expertise. We believe we have important know-how in the European Union when it comes to geothermal energy generation and transmission, to do the necessary analysis, engineering, etcetera so that we have the right figures, the right information and we consider all the different elements to make sure that this can be well executed and achieved.
“We are ready to mobilise financial support as well, this is what we are deciding, what is the specific setup we are going to work together in to make that happen. We are ready to mobilize concessional loans, investment grants, and different modalities can be explored to ensure that we have the financial resources together to make sure that we get this project done.”
Mogollón also said the EU has access to industrial partners and companies with experience in geothermal development, energy transmission and for the inter-island connectivity.
He thanked the NIA for the excellent collaboration, saying the EU’s priority is what is good for the people of Nevis and the Federation and to see how the EU can be of help in that regard.
Premier of Nevis and Minister of Energy, the Honourable Mark Brantley, welcomed the EU’s engagement on the critical renewable energy project.
Speaking at his monthly press conference on September 29, Premier Brantley said the ongoing engagement relates to significant financing that the EU is seeking to make available for the project, not only at the local or national level, but also at the regional level.
“The EU is trying to do a project where they connect Nevis; St. Kitts; the Dutch islands- Saba, Stacia, Sint Maarten; the French islands- St. Barths, St. Martin; then looking farther field to places like Antigua. They’re trying to work out a framework to see how that project can proceed.
“They’ve had a number of discussions, I’m advised, with the Honourable Prime Minister [Dr. Terrance Drew] including discussions in Brussels, and they’ve now decided to bring the delegation here to meet with stakeholders at the NIA level…They’re trying to basically persuade us to partner with the EU on this project for a wider subregional project on geothermal and on energy security for the sub region.”
Premier Brantley said the NIA would continue to assess the proposal, noting that other governments, including the United States Government, have also expressed interest in partnering on the geothermal initiative.
“I feel that the people of Nevis and the wider federation should note that it is really the fact that this project is so transformative that these governments, these agencies, want to be a part of it. They want to play a role because they recognize the value of what geothermal energy exploration on the island of Nevis can mean. So that is something that we’re looking at and to see where that goes.”
The Nevis Island Administration, through the Nevis Electricity Company Limited (NEVLEC), is advancing preparations for the next phase of the project at the Hamilton geothermal site. The project is being developed around a planned 30-megawatt geothermal power plant, which will provide reliable, clean and renewable electricity while reducing the island’s dependence on imported fossil fuels. The project is also expected to strengthen Nevis’ energy security, support lower and more stable electricity costs, and create opportunities to supply renewable energy to neighbouring islands through future regional interconnection.
