Dominican government and French Agency agree on program to promote energy transition

The following is a machine translation of a MEM release

SANTO DOMINGO. The Dominican Government, through the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) and the French Development Agency (AFD), signed a Memorandum of Understanding to launch a technical cooperation program that seeks to consolidate a fair, sustainable energy transition aligned with the country's climate commitments.

The event was chaired by Joel Santos, Minister of Energy and Mines, and Virginie Díaz, Director of AFD in the Dominican Republic. This agreement, which is not binding and does not establish legal obligations between the parties, marks an important step towards the development of a cleaner and more resilient energy system.

Minister Santos said that the technical cooperation offered by AFD through this agreement is invaluable, as it will benefit the Dominican Republic in its energy transition process and the strengthening of ties in the development of clean energy.

"The technical capacity that the AFD can offer us is immeasurable and this agreement will allow us to move forward in the direction of taking advantage of clean energy," said the official during the signing of the document.

The head of the MEM mentioned that the analysis of the dams is of great value, because it allows work to be done on their repowering and their better use, these being one of the most important resources of the country for the generation of clean energy.

“For us, the analysis of the dams is important because it is the type of energy that is used in the Dominican Republic during peak hours and we can repower our dams and increase the megawatt (MW) capacity that they can provide us,” concluded Santos.

“At the Ministry, we are taking on the responsibility of leading the implementation of this program. Together, with the collaboration of AFD, we will build a cleaner and more resilient energy future,” added Santos.

Meanwhile, Virginie Díaz, director of the French Development Agency (AFD), expressed her commitment to this collaboration with key players in the energy sector of the Dominican Republic, such as the MEM, the National Energy Commission (CNE) and the Dominican Hydroelectric Generation Company (Egehid), who will work together to implement energy infrastructure modernization projects.

The agreement is linked to the “Climate Action Program for Sustainable Economic Development”, signed in May 2024 and aims to address the challenges of climate change through the implementation of sustainable energy policies. It is also aligned with the National Development Strategy 2030, which prioritizes the guarantee of reliable, efficient and environmentally sustainable energy.

About financing

The programme will be financed by AFD with non-reimbursable funds and will last three years, from 2025 to 2027.

During this period, technical experts will be mobilized to implement the initiatives, and progress will be constantly monitored by a steering committee led by the MEM. This committee will meet twice a year to assess progress and ensure the correct execution of the program.

The event was attended by the Deputy Minister of Energy, Rafael Gómez; Betty Soto, Deputy Minister of Innovation and Energy Transition; Gustavo Mejía Ricart, Director of International Relations; Helen Pérez, Head of International Cooperation; Nadia Ferreira, Legal Director; and Sara Davo Boza, Head of Projects at AFD.