We Don't Need No Stinking Carbon Credits --- Coal for the DR

windeguy · Feb 7, 2015

CDEEE defends installation of coal-fired plants (as seen on DR1 news )

The executive vice president of the Dominican Electricity Corporation Ruben Jimenez Bichara and Energy and Mines Minister Pelegrin Castillo have rejected claims that the government would be making a historical error by installing two coal-fired plants at a cost of US$2 billion. The plants are being installed in order to secure lower cost of generation.

During the American Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Wednesday, 4 February 2015, energy expert Jose Luis Cordeiro criticized the construction of the coal-fired plants and urged the government to focus on renewable energies instead.

Jimenez Bichara said that if the construction of the coal-fired plants were not feasible they would not have received financing from international organizations. The government has secured financing from Brazilian and Italian banks.

Castillo challenged the claim that the plants were outdated and defended the Medina government's decision to go ahead with the project. He said that coal is abundant and that advanced technology exists to respond to the concerns about environmental pollution.

El Gobierno rechaza que las plantas a carb?n sean un error hist?rico - DiarioLibre.com

windeguy · Feb 7, 2015

The DR needs electricity any way it can get it at a lower price than now. It also has to finally figure out a way to make people pay for it or nothing will really change.

Awaiting PICHARDO's response on the Solar and Wind Farm construction here in the DR.

PeterInBrat · Feb 7, 2015

A coal fired plant is idiocy in a country like the DR.

bob saunders · Feb 7, 2015

PeterInBrat said:
A coal fired plant is idiocy in a country like the DR.

Why? The country has no gas, oil or coal. Coal is readily available at cheap rates from Colombia. Pulverized coal can be burned as clean as any other petroleum product and Solar and Wind are too expensive and inconsistent.

windeguy · Feb 7, 2015

PeterInBrat said:
A coal fired plant is idiocy in a country like the DR.

Oil is the current source for most power. There is no oil produced here. There is no coal here. What is the difference between using oil or coal (forgetting about carbon credit BS)? The DR needs energy any way they can get it.

LTSteve · Feb 7, 2015

Based on the energy problems that have plagued the DR it seems that the gov does not have a comprehensive plan for solving it's energy woes. I continue to think that a couple of garbage burning steam generating energy plants would be a good fit for the DR. Can you image if you got paid to haul garbage to a plant to be burned? You would not find garbage in pockets on the side of the road in the DR. I am sure why they are so locked into a coal fired plant? They must have favorable financing or grants from other sources to help pay for the project.

sosuamatt · Feb 7, 2015

Solar is great if you have massive government subsidies for it however it tends to put dire fiscal pressure on those countries just ask sunny Spain. Wind is a disaster costing billions and very unreliable (ask Ontario). Coal with the newer scrubbers is the most cost efficient source of power for resource deficient countries such as DR.

windeguy · Feb 7, 2015

Do you think they are actually going to use scrubbers on the coal plants? Come on now, this is the DR. Even if they installed them at the beginning, they would go into disorder and be abandoned quickly.

PeterInBrat · Feb 7, 2015

There is already a negative feedback loop for using on grid power in the DR. The ppl who can actually afford to be on the grid are converting over to solar with inverter systems and as the price per kW/hour goes up and the price of solar continues to go down, there will be more free riders who pay nothing and more ppl who have no need for the grid at all. Those that remain on the grid will have to make up the difference. The only way to make coal pay for itself is to make off grid solar illegal and/or charge ppl to be off the grid. They are already doing this in FL. Cut the illegal lines tapping into the grid and you get roadblocks and burning tires.

zoomzx11 · Feb 7, 2015

The plan has been adopted. We will choose whichever method will bring the most in kick backs and under the table payments. All else will remain the same. Its not complicated.

windeguy · Feb 7, 2015

I see that FL is not the only state penalizing people who go off the grid. What imbeciles there are in government.

PeterInBrat · Feb 7, 2015

An LED TV uses ~$11 worth of electric a year.
The LED lights are all under 7watts now.
In the DR, a dorm fridge is all most households need.
Water heaters can be propane, and it's not like hot water is essential to most folk.

Unless there is AC and a pool, how much electric do most households in the DR really need?

PeterInBrat · Feb 7, 2015

I believe they used to make cinder blocks out of coal ash..

What are they planning on using for a water source? There's a coal fired plant about 30 miles from me and waste heat is one of the problems they have to deal with.

PeterInBrat · Feb 7, 2015

Which is why it's all concrete blocks in the US now..

Bryanell · Feb 7, 2015

PeterInBrat said:
I believe they used to make cinder blocks out of coal ash..

What are they planning on using for a water source? There's a coal fired plant about 30 miles from me and waste heat is one of the problems they have to deal with.

Punta Catalina is on the sea shore.....good for two reasons - 1) free cooling waters in unlimited quantities 2) same sea brings the coal in on huge bulk carrying ships which off load at an on-site specially built, fully automated port with a dust-free conveyor system to take the coal from ship to storage areas. Most modern coal-fired plants work this way. Look at Itabo near Rio Haina, for instance.

Bryanell · Feb 7, 2015

LTSteve said:
Based on the energy problems that have plagued the DR it seems that the gov does not have a comprehensive plan for solving it's energy woes. I continue to think that a couple of garbage burning steam generating energy plants would be a good fit for the DR. Can you image if you got paid to haul garbage to a plant to be burned? You would not find garbage in pockets on the side of the road in the DR. I am sure why they are so locked into a coal fired plant? They must have favorable financing or grants from other sources to help pay for the project.

Bio-mass energy plants exist in the DR but are mostly privately owned and run for industrial plants. Gildan in Guerra has one and there's a new one going up in San Pedro. These plants can produce enough megawatts to run their factories, and feed any surpluses into the national grid.

ju10prd · Feb 7, 2015

This (coal generation) is such a sad decision and my gut feeling is it must be a corrupt one with 'big coal' paying somebody handsomely. Give it time and the truth will come out.

PeterInBrat · Feb 8, 2015

Derfish said:
The only way to make coal pay for itself is to make off grid solar illegal and/or charge ppl to be off the grid. They are already doing this in FL.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
They are already doing what in Florida?

They are mandating ppl to stay on the grid whether they need it or not:

Florida Makes Off-Grid Living Illegal ? Mandates All Homes Must Be Connected To Electricity & Water Grid | Collective-Evolution

Are there any bagasse power generators in the DR? I'd assume at least the sugar mills use them.

PICHARDO · Feb 18, 2015

PICHARDO · Feb 18, 2015

We Don't Need No Stinking Carbon Credits --- Coal for the DR

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On Vacation!

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One Dominican at a time, please!

One Dominican at a time, please!