Following moves by several nearby Caribbean islands, Grenada is exploring the potential of geothermal energy on the island.

Last year, the government signed a “support partnership framework” with the government of New Zealand, aiming to facilitate such exploration, and now that is moving forward.

The government said this week that Grenada had contracted Jacobs New Zealand limited to undertake the required studies and technical analyses on the project.

The initial phase of its assessment will cover a 30-week period, Grenada’s government said, beginning with reviews that first began in December.

A team of scientists from both New Zealand and Australia with both be conducting technical and geoscience analyses this month and next month.

This stage will conclude in June, when the technical reports and a presentation of the “way forward” are submitted.

“The Government of Grenada is committed in its efforts to enabling the provision of more sustainable energy to the citizens of Grenada, and a reduction in the reliance of imported fossil fuel,” it said.