Wind Energy

Dominican Republic to have three wind power plants by 2011

In addition to increasing production and helping the electricity sector be more efficient, the wind turbines will offer costumers the opportunity to pay the energy at a more competitive and reasonable price.

According to Ramirez, the first wind farm to be installed next year will operate in Pedernales. The other two wind farms will be installed in Bani and Puerto Plata.

Parques Eólicos del Caribe will build a 50 MW wind power plant in the Dominican Republic’s Montecristi province. Electricity regulator SIE gave Parques Eólicos del Caribe (Pecasa) a permit in 2001 to build the 40 MW Guanillo wind farm at Guayubín in Montecristi, as well as the 50 MW Barrancón project at La Isabela in Puerto Plata province.

Spanish wind turbines company Gamesa owns 57% of Pecasa, local company Grupo BHD owns 29%, and a number of Dominican investors own the remaining 14%.

Vestas has received a wind power order for 14 units of the V90-1.8 MW wind turbine for the wind farm Los Cocos project in the Dominican Republic.

The order has been placed by the Electricity Generating Company Haina, SA (EGE Haina). EGE Haina is the largest electricity producer in the Dominican Republic, currently operating 11 electric power generation units at six plants around the country. The wind farm will be located in the province of Pedernales in the Dominican Republic close to the south-western coast.

The National Energy Commission (CNE), which is the regulatory energy body of the Dominican Republic responsible for preparing the forecasts of the country’s power supply and demand, presented in 2004 the National Energy Plan for the period 2004-2015 reporting a potential of 10,000 MW in the Dominican Republic.

www.nrel.gov/docs/fy99osti/27032.pdf