Caribbean, Central America energy watch

The Dominican Republic’s national energy commission CNE authorized Urbasolar to conduct resource studies and other analyses for Energy Solar del Este Cabreto I’s 55.4MWp project.

The company holds a provisional concession for the solar park which would be built in the municipality of Guerra, Santo Domingo province.

CNE also granted Green Wheels Dominicana an extension of up to 24 months to complete the 80MW El Rafey waste to energy project which would use solid urban waste as the primary fuel and LNG as the secondary fuel.

The government agency, meanwhile, rejected a definitive concession request from Streamline Integrated Energy for the 55MW SPM-Planta Basura Energía waste to energy project.

The CNE argued that the project would have LPG as the primary fuel and not solid urban waste, and therefore could not be granted the concession under the renewable energies incentives law.

In addition, the commission granted EVYP Caribe an extension of 12 months to begin construction of the 4MW Paso Bajito hydro.

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In Belize, National Gas Company submitted a US$5.5mn financing request to IDB Invest for a 60mn Belize dollar (US$29.8mn) LPG marine terminal and associated facilities.

The terminal will be able to receive a 5,000m3 vessel and store 1.5Mg of the fuel or 150% of the country’s monthly demand, which is covered by truck shipments from Guatemala.

“Some 83% of Belizean households use LPG for their cooking needs and there is a growing trend of LPG use as an alternative fuel for vehicles and agricultural processing,” according to NGC, which expects commercial operations to begin by early March.

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For its part, IDB approved US$6.5mn to improve electricity access in Haiti, and technical cooperation funds to support energy transition and smart energy technology expansion in Barbados and strengthen Nicaragua’s energy ministry and state power transmission company Enatrel.