Australian-based Groundlink Energy has been granted a geothermal exploration license for the Takare site in North Efate, Vanuatu.
Australia-based company Groundlink Energy Pty Ltd (Groundlink Energy) has been granted a geothermal exploration license for a site in Takara, north of the Efate Island, which is part of the islands of Vanuatu. The project is currently transitioning to the drilling phase, which will determine the resource’s capacity for electricity generation.
“Groundlink Energy is honoured to be working with the Government and the people of Vanuatu to undertake exploration activities across the licence area in North Efate,” said Groundlink Energy co-founder Tim Horneman.
“This licence is an important step in the journey toward the future construction and operation of a geothermal power plant to deliver lower-cost, lower-emissions electricity to Vanuatu. With connectivity to the grid possible through existing transmission infrastructure, the project is well placed to make a contribution to the economy of Vanuatu.”
Groundlink Energy becomes the third overseas company to meet the full regulatory requirements for a geothermal exploration license in Vanuatu under the Geothermal Act No. 40 of 2019. The exploration license granted to the company is under the oversight of the Geothermal Exploration Advisory Board, which was established under the Geothermal Act to regulate geothermal development activities in Vanuatu. Standards on performance, environmental management, and local engagement have been set by the regulation.
“The company underwent extensive vetting, including checks by the Vanuatu Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission (VFSC), to ensure they were a genuine entity with both the technical and financial capacity to carry out the exploration works within the life of the license,” commented Benjamin Titus, Licensing and Tenement Registrar at the Geology and Mines Unit of Vanuatu.
Titus also stated that the company had conducted consultation sessions with the relevant villages in North Efate, and that the communities have responded positively to the exploration work. He also assured that the Board will continue to closely monitor the project: “Our role is to ensure that Vanuatu’s geothermal resources are developed in a manner that is sustainable, transparent, and beneficial to all stakeholders.”
A UK-based company, Stellae Energy, had recently signed an MoU with the Government of Vanuatu to explore and develop geothermal power projects, although no specific site had been mentioned.
The Takara site had been an area of interest for geothermal development of another Australian company, KuTH Energy, starting 2009. A resource with a size of 2-10 MW (P90 of 9.6 MW) was delineated by studies at the time. However, the company withdrew from the project in 2016, citing expensive drilling costs.
