Major advances are underway for the integration of natural gas fired Manzanillo Power Land thermoelectric central (414 MW) into the national electricity grid. The power plant has capacity to provide 7.3% of the Dominican Republic’s total installed capacity.
At year’s end, Energia 2000 had reported completion of 90% of the power plant’s combined cycle gas turbine. The power plant uses Siemens Energy SGT6-8000H technology. While its main fuel source is natural gas, it allows for future hydrogen potential.
As of January 2026, the Manzanillo Power Land thermoelectric plant is in its final stages of commissioning and is transitioning into its operational phase, with testing already begun.
Built strategically in Pepillo Salcedo, Montecristi, the location of the power plant was chosen to enhance national energy security. The northwestern coast location is diagonally opposite to the similar power plants located on the southeastern coast. If a hurricane hits on the eastern or southern coast, the power source in the northwest would not be affected.
The project is mostly a private venture. It will operate under a 30-year definitive concession granted by the Dominican State through the National Energy Commission (CNE) and the Ministry of Energy and Mines.
It is a core component of the Dominican government’s Manzanillo Port Master Plan, which aims to diversify the country’s energy matrix and move away from oil-derived fuels.
The state-owned ETED (Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica Dominicana) has been responsible for the infrastructure that connects these private plants to the national grid (SENI).
According to reports from the Ministry of Energy and Mines and the project developer Energía 2000, as of late 2025, the project is moving toward full integration into the National Interconnected Electric System (SENI). By early 2026, the power plant is in the phase of stabilizing its contribution to the grid.
The 130-kilometer, 345 kV transmission line connecting Manzanillo to the El Naranjo substation in Santiago was completed and inaugurated in late 2025.
A multi-year contract through 2034 was signed with EthosEnergy to handle the plant’s operations.
The power plant sources its fuel from the floating storage and regasification unit located in Manzanillo Bay. The 125,000 cbm FSRU Energos Freeze (built 1977) will be moored at Pepillo Salcedo, Montecristi, in Manzanillo Bay off the Atlantic Ocean. The natural gas is sourced from Elba Island, off Savannah in Georgia, USA, known for its major natural gas terminal.
Energos Freeze is a relet from New Fortress Energy, which has the unit on charter until 2034. The import facility is the Dominican Republic’s first FSRU.
Natural gas-fired power has been generated in the Dominican Republic since 2011 by the AES Andres land-based terminal located in the National District on the southeastern coast.
Read more in Spanish:
Noticias SIN
El Caribe
Manzanillo Power Land
Manzanillo Power Land
KVS Engineering
12 January 2026