Santo Domingo.- The executive vice president of the Punta Catalina Electric Generation Company (EGEPC), Celso Marranzini, recently addressed concerns about the Punta Catalina power plant during an interview on the “El Día” program broadcast by Telesistema. He spoke about the accusations the plant has faced from the climate change committee.
Marranzini mentioned that when he took over, he found the plant was facing challenges. These challenges included a lack of spare parts, low coal inventory levels, and demotivated staff due to a lack of necessary contact from management. However, he stressed that the plant is still operational. The problems were quickly addressed through coal and lime tenders and inventory management.
Regarding previous disagreements over spare parts, Marranzini stated that the previous administrator had a dispute over whether the consortium owed him spare parts or whether he should buy them.
He responded to concerns raised by Enrique de León of the climate change committee. De León suggested there could be dangerous problems at Punta Catalina. Marranzini described this statement as irresponsible. He mentioned the technical audit carried out six months ago, which in his opinion had been repeatedly disseminated without action being taken.
Marranzini asserted that Punta Catalina currently does not represent any danger and is responsible for generating 30% of the electricity in the Dominican Republic. He criticized the damage caused by the false accusations and called them ecoterrorism, emphasizing the negative impact on tourism and exports.
The climate change committee has proposed the immediate closure of the Punta Catalina Power Plant based on the findings of its independent investigation into its environmental impact. They argue that building the plant using coal was a mistake from the beginning and should be closed due to potential health and environmental risks.
Their report suggests that, in the worst case, contamination from the plant could lead to premature deaths, sick leave, years of life lost, and disabilities in the province of Peravia.