The Dominican Government, through the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) and the French Development Agency (AFD), signed a memorandum of understanding to launch a technical cooperation program that seeks to consolidate a energy transition fair, sustainable and aligned with the country’s climate commitments.
The event was led by Joel Santos, Minister of Energy and Mines, and Virginie Díaz, director of the AFD in Dominican Republic. “This agreement, which is not binding and does not establish legal obligations between the parties, marks an important step towards the development of a cleaner and more resilient energy system“, is indicated in a note.
Minister Santos said that the technical cooperation offered by the AFD through this agreement is invaluable, since it will benefit the country in its process of energy transition and strengthening ties in clean energy development.
“The technical capacity that the AFD is immeasurable and this agreement will allow us to move in the direction of taking advantage of the clean energy“said the official during the signing of the document.
The head of the MEM mentioned that the dam analysis It is of great value, because it allows work on its repowering and better use, these being one of the most important resources in the country for the generation of clean energy.
“For us, the analysis of dams is important because it is the type of energy that in the Dominican Republic It is used during peak hours and we can repower our dams and increase the megawatt (MW) capacity that they can provide us,” concluded Santos.
“At the Ministry we responsibly assume leadership in the execution of this program. Together, with the collaboration of the AFDwe will build a more energetic future clean and resilient“added Santos.
Meanwhile, Virginie Díaz, director of the French Agency, expressed her commitment to this collaboration with key players in the energy sector of the Dominican Republicsuch as the MEM, the National Energy Commission (CNE) and the Dominican Hydroelectric Generation Company (Egehid), who will work together to implement the modernization projects of energy infrastructure.
The agreement is linked to the “Climate Action Program for Sustained Economic Development“, signed in May 2024 and aims to face the challenges of climate change through the implementation of sustainable energy policies. In addition, it is aligned with the National Development Strategy 2030, which prioritizes the guarantee of reliable, efficient and environmentally sustainable, says the note.
Financing with non-refundable funds
The program will be financed by the AFD with non-refundable funds and will have a duration of three yearsfrom 2025 to 2027.
During this period, technical experts will be mobilized for the implementation of the initiatives, and progress will be constantly monitored through a led steering committee by the MEM. This committee will meet semiannually to evaluate progress and ensure the correct execution of the program.
Present at the activity were the vice minister of energyRafael Gómez; Betty Soto, Vice Minister of Innovation and Energy Transition; Gustavo Mejía Ricart, director of International Relations; Helen Pérez, in charge of International Cooperation; Nadia Ferreira, Legal Director; and Sara Davo Boza, Project Manager of the AFD.
