VIS 2026VIS 2026 — Virtual Island Summit|Also: GSIS 2027GSIS 2027
Island Innovation Logo
About
Services
The Network
Events
Content Library
Contact Us

Subscribe to our newsletter. By submitting, you agree to our Privacy Policy.

Island Innovation

Island Innovation works with governments, institutions, and partners worldwide to support island-led sustainable economic development.

We Support The UN Development Goals

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 13: Climate Action
SDG 14: Life Below Water
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Explore

AboutServicesNetworkEvents

Content

ArticlesNewsCareers

Ready to Connect?

Join the island innovation community

Get in Touch

About

  • About us
  • Case Studies
  • FAQs
  • Press
  • Careers
  • Contact

Services

  • Services Overview
  • Public & Media Relations
  • Strategic Communications

Network

  • The Island Network
  • Academic Council
  • Newsletter

Events

  • Our Events
  • Watch Past Events

Content

  • All Content Library
  • Videos
  • Articles
  • News
Privacy PolicyTerms of ServiceContactManage email preferences

© 2025 Island Innovation. All rights reserved.

    News

    Curated stories and analysis from islands and sustainability leaders worldwide.

    Filter by Core Theme

    All ThemesCircular EconomyClimate ActionConnectivity & DigitizationCulture & CommunityEnergy & TransportGreen Finance & EconomyOcean & BiodiversityPolicy & GovernanceTourism & Remote WorkWater & Food
    Showing 9 of 171 news items in Energy & Transport
    Saint Kitts and Nevis receives five bids in geothermal production drilling tender
    Energy & TransportAugust 26, 2025

    Saint Kitts and Nevis receives five bids in geothermal production drilling tender

    Photo credit: Daniel Farrell / Flickr (Creative Commons) via ThinkGeoEnergy.com Excerpt from thinkgeoenergy.com The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Commission (OECS) has announced that five bids from internationally recognized firms have been received following a tender for the production drilling phase of the planned St. Kitts and Nevis geothermal power project. Bids from the following companies have been accepted: Iceland Drilling Marriott Drilling Consortium Drilling Ormat Technologies Inc. IPS-USA Drilling is expected to begin by early 2026. The development envisions a 30-MW geothermal power facility that will provide baseload renewable energy to both Nevis and St. Kitts.

    Read more
    12345678910
    Thousands protest plan to build world’s longest bridge from Sicily to Italy
    Energy & TransportAugust 13, 2025

    Thousands protest plan to build world’s longest bridge from Sicily to Italy

    Excerpt from aljazeera.com Thousands of people have marched in Sicily to protest against a government plan to build a bridge that would connect the Italian mainland to the Mediterranean island, and would be the world’s longest single-span bridge. Some 10,000 demonstrators marched in the Sicilian city of Messina on Saturday to stage their opposition to the 13.5-billion-euro ($15.7bn) infrastructure project.

    Read more
    Italy gives final go-ahead for landmark Sicily bridge project
    Energy & TransportAugust 11, 2025

    Italy gives final go-ahead for landmark Sicily bridge project

    Excerpt from reuters.com MESSINA/ROME, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Italy's government gave final approval on Wednesday to the construction of what will be the world's longest single-span bridge, linking Sicily to the mainland, despite environmental, financial and other concerns that have delayed it for decades. The 3.7-kilometre (2.3-mile) structure, set to break the record currently held by Turkey's Canakkale Bridge across the Dardanelles, has been under discussion since at least the late 1960s as a tool to develop Italy's poorer south. The right-wing government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made it a priority and has set aside 13.5 billion euros ($15.63 billion) over the next 10 years to build it and surrounding facilities. The Interministerial Committee for Economic Planning and Sustainable Development (CIPESS) gave its green light to the project during a meeting in Rome, paving the way for the start of construction work. "It is not an easy task but we consider it an investment in Italy's present and future, and we like difficult challenges when they make sense", Meloni said at the meeting, her office said. The bridge to Sicily, which has a population of 4.7 million, should be ready in 2032, the Messina Strait Company said.

    Read more
    Malta receives three bids for its first offshore wind concession
    Energy & TransportJuly 28, 2025

    Malta receives three bids for its first offshore wind concession

    Excerpt from splash247.com Three submissions were made in Malta’s initial call for the development of the country’s first offshore wind project. Two consortia and a Greek company submitted preliminary qualification questionnaires for Malta’s first offshore wind farm concession. Submissions were made by the Code Zero Consortium, led by SEP Malta Holding, with partners Kornelio Energy 1, M. Demajo, and NMK Renewables. A second submission was made by the Atlas Med Wind consortium, led by GreenIT, partnered with Seatrans Shipping, Central European Advisors, and CI V Transfer Coöperatief. The third submission was by McKedrick from Greece. The concession will be awarded through a competitive dialogue process involving the design, construction, operation, and decommissioning of a wind farm offshore Malta. The project will also include the operation and maintenance of an offshore substation and export cable system, which will remain owned by the government. The project will have an expected installed capacity of around 300 MW. “It is a key component of Malta’s National Energy and Climate Plan, which outlines the strategic transition toward a sustainable, decarbonised energy mix,” said Ismail D’Amato, CEO of Interconnect Malta. An evaluation process to verify compliance, technical experience, and financial capability is now underway.

    Read more
    St Kitts opens bids for geothermal energy production ​
    Energy & TransportJuly 14, 2025

    St Kitts opens bids for geothermal energy production ​

    The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Commission is pleased to announce another major milestone in the region’s sustainable energy journey: the official opening of bids for the production drilling phase for the St. Kitts and Nevis geothermal power project. A total of five bids from internationally recognised firms were received for the initiative on Nevis, a cornerstone of the Federation’s Sustainable Island State Agenda (SISA), which marks a significant step towards energy sovereignty, resilience, and a cleaner future for an OECS Member State. Drilling to produce geothermal energy to drive an electric turbine at Hamilton Estate is expected to begin in early 2026 following the awarding of the contract to the successful bidder.

    Read more
    Japan switches back to nuclear, 14 years after Fukushima
    Energy & TransportJuly 14, 2025

    Japan switches back to nuclear, 14 years after Fukushima

    Japan is laying the groundwork to proceed with next-generation nuclear energy plants once its fleet of idled reactors has been restarted, as soaring gas prices and power-hungry data centres have prompted a rethink on atomic power in the earthquake-prone nation. Asia’s second-largest economy signalled late last year that it would allow construction of new atomic reactors at existing sites, marking a significant policy shift in the country’s aversion to the controversial electricity source following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011. Japan is reactivating nuclear reactors that were shut down in the wake of the accident, reopening 14 out of 54 that were closed to date.

    Read more
    Clean energy shouldn’t be wasted
    Energy & TransportJuly 7, 2025

    Clean energy shouldn’t be wasted

    Photo credit: EFE / Canarias7 – Image of the Los Guinchos power plant in La Palma. This text has been translated with minor modifications. In the midst of a transition towards a sustainable energy model, Gran Canaria faces an alarming contradiction: they are wasting part of the renewable energy they generate. This is called ‘curtailment’ or ‘supply cutting’, and it means that when the sun shines or the wind blows strongly, part of that clean electricity goes unconsumed because the island’s electrical grid cannot absorb it. An inadmissible luxury in the midst of a climate emergency. The data is compelling. According to [Red Eléctrica de España](https://www.ree.es/es), in just the first 5 months of 2025, the percentage of renewable energy wasted in Gran Canaria has exceeded 19.38% (being 24% in April and 25% in May), multiplying by 2.2 the value from the previous year (an increase of 10.72%). This is not a one-off failure, but a structural symptom of island electrical systems. Furthermore, the inability to evacuate all the energy generated not only represents environmental waste, but also a direct reduction in the profitability of renewable projects, which see their income reduced without compensation in many cases. The underlying reason is clear: our networks are not prepared to manage a large-scale renewable system. It is necessary to strengthen distribution networks to be able to adequately integrate both renewable energies and storage systems. And this is where a key piece comes into play: energy storage. Without it, Gran Canaria cannot unleash the full potential of our clean energies. In Gran Canaria, steps are already being taken. The [Salto de Chira hydraulic pumped storage hydropower project](https://www.power-technology.com/projects/salto-de-chira-pumped-storage-hydropower-plant-spain/), with capacity to cover up to 36% of the island’s peak demand, is underway. Various battery initiatives being promoted by the Consejo Insular de la Energía are also advancing. And green hydrogen, still emerging, is beginning to take shape as a long-term storage solution with multiple applications. In this regard, the RESH2PORT project stands out, led by Megaturbinas de Arinaga (with participation from the Cabildo, the Port Authority and ITC), which plans to install an electrolyser at the Port of La Luz and produce 40 tonnes of hydrogen annually to supply between five and six zero-emission public buses. But a few good projects are not enough. Gran Canaria needs political will, adequate financing and agile procedures.

    Read more
    OECS Commission announces geothermal study tour to Guadeloupe: A step towards sustainable energy
    Energy & TransportJuly 7, 2025

    OECS Commission announces geothermal study tour to Guadeloupe: A step towards sustainable energy

    The OECS Commission has announced the commencement of a pivotal study tour to Guadeloupe, focusing on geothermal energy development. This initiative underscores the OECS’s commitment to advancing sustainable energy solutions and strengthening regional energy independence by tapping into the potential for indigenous, clean power from the heat beneath our feet. This study tour, organised by the OECS Geothermal Energy Capacity Building for Utilisation, Investment and Local Development ([GEOBUILD](https://oecs.int/en/geobuild)) Programme, from June 23-27, builds on a history of regional collaboration and learning in geothermal energy, facilitated by the OECS Commission and regional and international agencies. Guadeloupe has been a pioneer in the Caribbean, operating a geothermal electricity plant since 1986.

    Read more
    GSIS2025 – OECS geothermal projects raise profile at Nevis Geothermal Forum
    Energy & TransportJuly 1, 2025

    GSIS2025 – OECS geothermal projects raise profile at Nevis Geothermal Forum

    **Photo credit: OECS Press Room /pressroom.oecs.int** Caption: From left, Dr. Mohammed Nagdee, Executive Director, and Kiesha Farnum, Head of Partnerships and Programmes, Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE); Hon. Konris Maynard, Chair, OECS Council of Ministers: Energy and Minister of Energy, St Kitts and Nevis; Hon. Mark Brantley, Premier of Nevis; and James Ellsmoor, CEO, Island Innovations, at the Nevis geothermal forum. The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission has hailed the Nevis Geothermal Forum, held on May 26, as a watershed moment for the region’s sustainable energy ambitions. Organised by Island Innovation in collaboration with the Nevis Island Administration and the OECS GEOBUILD Programme as a prelude to the Global Sustainable Island Summit (GSIS) in St Kitts and Nevis, the forum convened government leaders, technical experts, international partners, and private sector stakeholders to accelerate geothermal development across the OECS. ​ **Political will, regional collaboration, hallmarks of development** The forum showcased a new era of cooperation between the federal government of St Kitts and Nevis and the Nevis Island Administration. The Honourable Mark Brantley, Premier of Nevis, welcomed participants by highlighting the island’s unique geothermal potential:

    Read more