Punta Cana.- The first fast charging station for electric vehicles in the Caribbean, known as “electrolinera”, will begin operating in Punta Cana in the coming weeks. It has 29 dispensers that will supply 225 kW of power. The initiative is led by the Latin American Association of Sustainable Mobility in collaboration with Evergo Connect and the Dominican Association of Electric Mobility. The approximate cost is $7 million.
Oscar San Martín, general manager of Evergo Connect, emphasized that the station will feature hyper-fast and non-super-fast charging modes, significantly reducing the average charging time to approximately 15 minutes.
Roberto Herrera, executive director of the Punta Cana Macao Energy Consortium (CEPM), revealed additional services for users such as restaurants, children’s entertainment rooms, coworking spaces, and an innovative facility for exchanging electric batteries for motorcycles.
The project also includes the construction of the FV3 photovoltaic park, which will generate around 25 megawatts, with a unique capacity for 40 megawatts of long-term battery storage. Herrera highlighted the capacity of use of the park for four hours, which guarantees continuous service while more powerful batteries are developed.
This initiative aligns with the Dominican Republic’s goal of increasing renewable generation from 16% to 30% by 2030 in the electricity sector. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) supports this type of projects. During the IDB Annual Meeting of Governors, they supported this investment through IDB Invest.
Given the challenges and objectives of the Dominican Republic’s electricity sector, these strategic investments play a fundamental role, including electrification projects such as the one on Saona Island. IDB Lab, the innovation arm of the IDB, supports a public-private program for the exchange of 2,000 combustion motorcycles for electric ones for home delivery services in Greater Santo Domingo.