Dominican Republic’s 2nd major wind farm

Government officials and foreign and local investors broke ground Tuesday for the construction of a wind farm in the village Guzmancito, Luperon township, Puerto Plata province (north), which will generate 100MW of electricity.

The project’s first stage is slated to conclude in 12 months at a cost of US$180 million, said its promoters, Poseidon Energia Renovable, Inversiones Energia 3,000 and Valoren SA.

They said the project will reduce losses in the national electric grid and save the country US$59.3 million per year.

Inversiones Energia 3,000 director Jean Christophe Bestaux said the wind farm will create 200 direct jobs in Guzmancito.

He said the Dominican Government will buy one megawatt of energy from the new park for around US$170.0, or 20% less than the current price of US $190.00 per MW. “This park will provide clean energy to more than 100,000 families in Puerto Plata and Santiago. It will benefit tourism and the local economy.”

The plant will reduce the country’s pollutant forms of energy generation and avert emissions of around 235,000 metric tons greenhouse gases per year.

The project includes the installation of a power line and construction of a substation to supply its energy to the national grid.

Luperon will be the country’s second major wind energy park, after Los Cocos, in southwestern Pedernales province.