Bayahibe, RD.- The “Energizing Saona” project promoted by the Bayahíbe Electric Company (CEB), a subsidiary of the Punta Cana-Macao Energy Consortium (CEPM), in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MIMARENA), received the nomination “Sustainable Initiative of the Year” from the prestigious North American firm Business Intelligence in the Sustainability Awards 2023.
The project has been operating since last December 2022 through the installation of 1,800 photovoltaic modules and a 5 MWh energy storage system that have guaranteed for the first time in the history of this island a continuous and reliable energy service, and also from of a completely renewable generation source, for the more than 600 people who live in this community.
This transformation has impacted the well-being of the residents of Isla Saona, who for the first time can have this basic service for their development, based on a shared commitment to sustainability and the preservation of the environment. In the words of Pedro Galdez (Minguin), president of the Mano Juan Neighborhood Council: “We are living a before and after in the history of this community.”
According to this recognition, “Energizing Saona” not only embodies the fundamental principles of sustainability, but also acts as a beacon of inspiration for other communities and organizations seeking a path towards clean energy and environmental preservation.
“Saona Island has become the first and only island in the hemisphere with clean energy 24/7 and, from this vision, we want this project to be a flagship of clean energy and a benchmark for other similar projects in the region,” expressed Rolando González Bunster, president of the InterEnergy Group, parent company of the CEB.
Energizing Saona has been developed under the ‘Sustainable Saona’ master plan promoted by MIMARENA, which has as its main objectives the dignity of its inhabitants and the correct control and sustainability of this protected area belonging to the Cotubanamá National Park. Regarding this initiative, President Luis Abinader expressed during his visit to the island last July: “With the projects we develop here, we seek to improve the quality of life of its population so that it becomes a model in sustainability, where there is comprehensive health and education.”
Together with MIMARENA, CEB is working with the community on various lines of action that include a waste management plan, access to drinking water through dispensers that avoid the use of disposable materials, the development of local entrepreneurship linked to natural resources sustainable, the promotion of sustainable fishing through the Island’s Fishermen’s Association, and the implementation of electric mobility with land and sea vehicles to reduce the carbon footprint on the island and lower costs. In addition to providing internet access.
With this achievement, Isla Saona is positioned as an outstanding example in the responsible use of sustainable energy sources and demonstrates the commitment of CEB and its allies in promoting clean energy solutions for the well-being of the community and the development of the region.
About CEB
The Bayahibe Electricity Company (CEB) is a subsidiary company of the Punta Cana–Macao Energy Consortium, SA (CEPM), a generating, distributing and marketing company of electrical energy, with 30 years of history, which currently has more than 330 MW of installed capacity with which it supplies energy through 1,600 km of high, medium and low voltage networks, to more than 65% of the national hotel supply divided into nearly 55,000 hotel rooms and more than 50,000 residential and commercial clients and industrial, acting as a fundamental promoter of tourism development in the areas of Punta Cana, Bávaro, Macao, Uvero Alto, Miches, Bayahibe and La Romana.