The company is updating its Expansion Plan to respond to growing demand, incorporate new technologies, and strengthen its transmission infrastructure
SANTO DOMINGO.- The Dominican Electricity Transmission Company (ETED) is working on updating its Expansion Plan to adapt the transmission infrastructure to the growth of renewable energies and the future needs of the national electricity system.
The initiative was presented by Yomayra Martinó Soto, the entity's Governance and Sustainability advisor, during the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) investment forum, where the challenges of the energy transition in Central America and the Caribbean were addressed.
Martinó Soto explained that the planning seeks to harmonize the development of electrical networks with the consumption and economic growth projections contemplated in the National Energy Plan to 2038 and the Meta RD 2036 program.
Electrical networks to integrate renewable sources
During her speech, the ETED representative pointed out that the growing incorporation of renewable sources poses new technological and operational requirements for the Dominican electrical system.
In that context, he highlighted the need to modernize and digitize transmission networks, as well as strengthen their capacity to respond to variations in energy generation and ensure a stable supply.
He also indicated that the country must continue to address the operation and maintenance of existing infrastructure, while preparing facilities to integrate new technologies and respond to the demands of the coming years.
The advisor argued that the national economic outlook will also demand a more flexible and resilient transmission system, capable of adapting to increased consumption and the climate risks that affect the Dominican Republic due to its island status.
Expansion and long-term planning
The Expansion Plan update is being developed under the direction of ETED's Executive Vice President, Alfonso Rodríguez Tejada, with the aim of contributing to the priorities of the energy sector.
According to Martinó Soto, projections of economic growth and electricity demand require anticipating infrastructure needs, so that the networks can support national development and the transformation of the energy matrix.
In that regard, he explained that the goal of doubling the gross domestic product (GDP) by 2036 will imply greater electricity requirements and the need to expand the system's response capacity.
Cooperation to finance the energy transition
ETED's participation took place in the high-level dialogue "Enabling the energy transition in Central America and the Caribbean: networks, infrastructure and regional cooperation", organized as part of the Investment Forum for the Energy Transition of Central America and the Caribbean.
The panel brought together representatives from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), GET.transform/GET.invest, the Honduran Energy Secretariat and the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), under the moderation of IRENA.
Participants analyzed the planning, regulatory and institutional conditions necessary to attract investment to electricity networks, as well as issues related to storage, digitization, modernization of facilities and regional interconnection.
The meeting, organized by IRENA and the Dominican Ministry of Energy and Mines, was held in parallel with OLACDE Energy Week, with the participation of authorities, financial entities, investors and industry representatives.
ETED, responsible for the transport of high-voltage electricity and the expansion of the transmission network of the National Interconnected Electric System (SENI), reaffirmed its commitment to contribute to the development of an infrastructure that facilitates the country's energy and digital transition.
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