Empresa Generadora Haina, that won a bid to operate the Haina power plants and others in the DR, announced that it will be investing US$440 million to expand generation capacity. Ramón Martínez Aponte announced that the company will be increasing generation from 220 megawatts to 406 megawatts in 14 months time. He said that when they took over the operation, the plants were generating 186 megawatts, which they upped to 346 megawatts following repairs and maintenance works. He said that the company had recovered the 28 megawatt turbogas plant of San Pedro de Macorís that went back on line last week. He announced that the Puerto Plata city plant would go into service in seven months time, adding 26 megawatts to the national power generation capacity. In a press conference, he announced that they had subcontracted Hart Energy International to install a power central with capacity to generate 150 megawatts. This plant would use diesel technology and should be in operation within 14 months. The company also commissioned the Italian firm ABB to complete a plant in Barahona that will operate using charcoal with capacity to produce 44 megawatts. The company is also working on the conversion of the Haina turbogas plants from simple cycle to combined cycle to be able to increase efficiency and produce 150 megawatts, up from the present 100 megawatts for basically the same cost.
