New York, USA- InterEnergy is advancing its commitment to total decarbonization, with a focus on making CEPM generation 100% clean this decade. This was stated by Rolando González Bunster, president and CEO of the group, within the framework of his participation in the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) during the session “Accelerating the transition to renewable energy”, in which the businessman shared a panel with the United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry; the president of Guyana, Mohamed Irfaan Ali; the former president of Costa Rica, José María Figueres; and Vaishali Nigam-Sinha, co-founder and President of Sustainability at ReNew Energy Global PLC, among other notable figures.
It was in this same scenario, a year ago, when González Bunster sealed InterEnergy’s “Commitment to Action” under a clear purpose: “We recognize our important role in the fight against climate change. This is a shared work to which we contribute with firm commitments, but, above all, with realities. We have done this in all the markets where we operate, leading pioneering projects that have marked the direction of the region towards zero-emission generation.”
One of the first milestones in this roadmap has been the development and construction of several photovoltaic projects distributed near the strategic consumption areas of the eastern zone of the Dominican Republic, which total more than 200MW of power; and accompanied by the expansion of the current 110MW infrastructure and storage systems, which will also provide stability and reliability to the company’s already robust network. Along these lines, the installation of photovoltaic parks is also being carried out, accompanied by hotel clients, in their shared purpose of turning the eastern part of the country into a sustainable development model of global reference.
Another of the great advances mentioned was the electrification of Isla Saona, through a photovoltaic generation park with a storage capacity of 5 MWh, which has allowed its more than 600 inhabitants and more than one million visitors, which it receives each year. , have continuous energy for the first time in its history, and coming from a renewable source 24/7.
These projects are part of one of the key initiatives of InterEnergy’s energy transition plan, “CEPM Zero”, to transform CEPM into a 100% renewable energy and zero emissions electricity company before 2030 with an estimated investment that exceeds $ USD 1,000 million and through the construction of more than 500 MW of wind, solar and battery energy that are added to the existing generation of this company.
In addition, other technologies are being developed, such as hydraulic pumping in the Miches area as an alternative source of storage that could provide more than 500MWh, consisting of two reservoirs with a drop of close to 300m between them, which They will allow the use of surplus renewable energy to raise the water, and subsequently drop the stored resource at night, providing and controlling this generation when necessary. Finally, the use of other sustainable fuels such as green hydrogen is being analyzed to achieve ‘net-zero’.
Pioneers in energy transition
In this scenario, the president of InterEnergy explained that this decarbonization master plan involves a decisive investment in renewable generation projects in different parts of the region. In the Dominican Republic, through the company GEDOM, controlled by InterEnergy, the expansion of the Matafongo park, located in Sabana Buey, is being developed, which will total 50MW wind and 50MW solar, constituting the first park of this type in the country; in addition to the construction of the Granadillos wind farm, of 50 MW, in the northern area and the Cacaos park, in Cabrera, with another 50 MW. Work is also underway for next year on the expansion of the fourth natural gas unit of the Energas company, located in San Pedro de Macorís, as a boost to cleaner transition fuel.
Another of the great milestones that the energy group is preparing towards this direction is the start, in 2024, of the operations of the Gatún Generator, in Panama; a natural gas combined cycle power plant with a 670MW capacity, which will facilitate the integration of more clean energy sources into the Panamanian generation matrix, displacing other more polluting generation sources.
In line with these commitments, the group has promoted electric mobility through Evergo, which has become the largest and most sophisticated network of charging stations for electric vehicles in the region, with more than 15,000 chargers in the ten countries where it operates. Before finishing, it is preparing its expansion to Puerto Rico, Uruguay and Paraguay and the inauguration in Bávaro of the first electric station in Central America and the Caribbean, Evergo Connect, with 28 stations that will allow simultaneous charging of 28 electric vehicles with 100% renewable energy.