Given the recent blackouts that have bothered citizens, the Dominican Association of Electric Industries (ADIE) considers that comprehensive planning should be carried out with the aim of meeting the population’s energy demand, especially in the hot season due to that increases consumption and, also, when the generating plants are out of service for maintenance.
The association told Free Journal that “the planning of the maintenance of the generation plants has been carried out since the previous year (September 2021)”.
“It should be noted that a heat wave has been unleashed that has suddenly increased the demand for electricity. This situation, together with the maintenance of some of the system’s plants, has created an ephemeral deficit in the generation that the country needs,” he said. .
But, despite the generation deficit, the plants have a reserve available that can enter the system when necessary. During May 19, there was an accumulated energy of about 2.2 gigawatt hours (GWh) in the system, which was not required to enter the National Interconnected Electric System (SENI), exceeding the demand supplied during that day by 6%. reported the ADIE.
He stressed that the situation of the generation deficit is periodic and that in recent years it is being seen frequently, so an effort must be made in the comprehensive planning of the sector, considering the seasonality of demand.
Therefore, to cover the deficit, the generation companies consider that they must have reserve plants in these periods through the establishment of regulations that are oriented towards the insertion of generation in the reserve mode of the system.
To date, three plants were out of service: Punta Catalina I, unavailable due to corrective maintenance; Estrella del Mar 3 and Los Mina (units 5 and 7) both out of the system due to scheduled maintenance.
