While participating in the Caribbean Energy Conference in Nassau, Bahamas, the executive vice president of the Dominican Public Electricity Corporation (CDEEE), Ruben Jiménez Bichara, said the government would be calling by mid year 2018 a tender for more power plants and would favor those fired by natural gas. He also said the government has a goal of transitioning 940 megawatts from fuel oil powered plants to natural gas.
In a press release, the CDEEE executive called for additional private investment in natural gas-fired power plants. He said a reliable source of natural gas at competitive prices needs to be secured.
Jimenez Bichara referenced the 300 megawatts of the Compañía Eléctrica de San Pedro de Macorís, (Cogentrix) and the 430 megawatts of the Quisqueya I y II centrals, as well as the 150 megavatios of the Sultana del Este power plant and the 60 megawatts of Los Orígenes power plant, all in the San Pedro de Macorís southeastern province. This adds up to the 940 megawatts in fuel oil powered plants the governments wants to convert to natural gas production.
During the Nassau 18th Annual Caribbean Energy Conference (25-26 January 2018), Jiménez Bichara gave a talk entitled, “Electricity Sector: Dominican Republic”. At the conference he spoke of advances on the coal-fired Punta Catalina Thermoelectric Central, with capacity for 752 megawatts, scheduled for completion by the end of 2018.
“The construction of a coal-fired power plant was a tactical decision given the difficulty of securing a supply of natural gas in the desired quantity, frequency and price,” he explained. He said the country now offers business opportunities for those interested in supplying around 1,000 megawatts in addition to new investments. He said local demand grows at around 120 megawatts every year.
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CDEEE
6 February 2018
