President Luis Abinader was in San Pedro de Macorís on Monday, 30 May 2022 for the inauguration of the El Soco Photovoltaic Park project in the municipality of Consuelo. The solar energy park is injecting 50MW into the national grid, thus helping to alleviate the increase in energy prices, as well as contributing to greater energy independence.
“My government is placing special emphasis on energy derived from renewable sources. As an example of this, I will tell you that in the year 2021 and part of 2022 we will manage and sign contracts for the installation of photovoltaic electricity projects for an additional 620 MW,” said President Abinader at the event. He said this is more than double the number of solar projects that had been signed in more than a decade.
“In other words, during the ten years before this administration, only four solar projects had been contracted and installed for 187.4 megawatts of power, three times less than the 620 MW approved,” he said.
He indicated that solar energy has become in recent years the third most important renewable energy source worldwide, together with hydroelectric and wind energy sources.
He highlighted that El Soco reduces dependence on imported fossil fuels to produce electricity, thereby reducing environmental pollution and the price of energy.
“Solar energy is here to stay,” said President Abinader. He explained that solar energy is flexible in its application. “That is why my government is implementing the Techo Solar program for the electrification of individual rural houses reaching out to 500 families currently without access to the national power grid,” he said. The President said the Ministry of Energy will implement the solar roof project to benefit people living in La Albahaca, Higüey; Postrer Río, Azua; San Francisco de Macorís, Rancho Arriba, and others, as well as rural schools in the southern region.
The general director of BAS Corporation, Emilio Martinez said El Soco will inject more than 130 million KWH per year into the grid. This will mitigate the impact of the increase in oil prices, as it contributes to greater energy independence.
The El Soco Photovoltaic Park has capacity for 79 MWp. Construction was begun in 2021 and start of operation was in the first quarter of 2022. The US$80 million investment has capacity to generate 121,980,000 kwh per year. The plant is installed on 84 hectares and 5 kilometers of HV line, with 149,310 solar modules. The park is expected to save more than 60,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year.
The Bas Corporation business model is based on the development, promotion, construction of projects with the support of Global Dominion Access (GDA) as strategic partner. Once the assets are under operation, Bas Corporation takes care of the Asset Management and subcontracts the O&M of the power plants to GDA (Dominion Green). Once the optimal performance is reached, BAS looks for a final investor and diversts totally or partially from the park.
Bas Operation also was responsible for the 66 MW Mata de Palma Project constructed from 2018 to 2019 and that entered into operation in 2019.
Read more:
Bas Corporation
El Nacional
Presidencia
31 May 2022