The French Government through the Ministry of Energy has granted Engie Energie Services (Engie) the exclusive permit for exploration of geothermal resources at the Cafres-Palmistes site in the highlands of Reunion Island. The permit gives Engie the right to undertake the necessary studies to characterize or confirm the existence of an exploitable geothermal resource at the study site.
Covering an area of 55 square kilometers, the permit area encompasses the volcanic areas of Plaine des Cafres and Plaine-des-Palmistes. According to the application documents provided by Engie, the plan is to develop a power plant at the site with an estimated capacity of over 15 MWe. The authorities, however, clarify that the exploration permit does not automatically authorize deep drilling or the construction of a power plant.
The permit application process has been a very long story for Engie, as the initial application was submitted back in 2021. It was supplemented in 2024 before undergoing review by the Environmental Authority. Several points were raised following the review, scrutinizing the potential environmental impacts of the proposed project. Among the recommendations were to avoid working in areas of ecological importance, and enforcing measures for the protection of drinking water resources.
With Reunion Island still dependent on fossil fuel imports, geothermal energy is being pushed as one of the enablers for energy independence. Another French energy company, Albion, had also been granted a five-year geothermal exploration permit in Reunion Island, specifically for the Piton des Neiges site.
