The Dominican Republic reached a new photovoltaic generation record with 1390 MW injected into the National Interconnected Electric System (SENI) at 2:00 p.m. on September 19, without registering any solar spillage at that time.
The peak comes from the analysis carried out by AABI Green Energy and occurred on a day in which non-conventional renewable energies came to represent 49% of hourly generation at 13:00 hours .
The approximate composition at that time was 43% solar, 5% wind and 1% biomass , showing the level of renewable penetration that the Dominican system is beginning to reach at certain times of the day.
This information is even more significant given the operational configuration of the National Interconnected System (SENI) during the day. Punta Catalina II, with 300 MW, and Manzanillo Power Land in simple cycle, with around 270 MW, were offline.
In other words, the system operated with about 570 MW less thermal generation while absorbing the new photovoltaic peak.
The combination of both factors gives a signal about the SENI's ability to manage increasingly larger renewable penetrations, although a single event does not in itself allow us to determine how the system will respond to these conditions in a sustained manner.
The challenge increases as new solar projects come online. Greater photovoltaic participation demands more flexibility to manage ramps, reserves, frequency, voltage, and surpluses during specific hours.
That's where storage starts to take center stage.
More renewables and BESS on the way
The record comes as the Dominican Republic prepares for a new phase of contracting for renewable energy generation and batteries.
In May, the EDES-LP-NGR-01-2025 tender awarded 325.69 MW , below the 600 MW initially planned.
The selected projects were distributed among EGE Haina, Taíno Solar, Galileo Energía and Mella Solar Power 1 , with a predominance of photovoltaics and some configurations associated with storage, in addition to wind power participation.
Four of the five contracted projects closed with prices between USD 0.1060 and USD 0.1090/kWh , among the lowest values recorded so far in this type of contract in the country.
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But the process doesn't end there.
The Dominican Republic plans to return to the market to contract an additional 300 MW of renewable generation and prepare another specific call to incorporate 200 MW of BESS into existing solar plants .
This new storage will be especially relevant if photovoltaic generation continues to reach its peak levels.
BESS would allow shifting some solar production to times of higher demand, providing complementary services and reducing the risk of spills as renewable penetration increases.
The record of 1390 MW shows that the National Interconnected System (SENI) can already operate at certain times with significant solar participation and reduced thermal availability. The next challenge will be to sustain this integration as more projects come online and prevent photovoltaic growth from being accompanied by further cuts.
With new renewable energy tenders and 200 MW BESS on the horizon, the Dominican Republic is entering a phase where adding capacity will only be part of the equation: the next step will be to have sufficient storage and flexibility to take advantage of more and more of that solar generation .
FES Government & Investment arrives in the Dominican Republic
FES Government & Investment will take place on October 7 and 8, in an unprecedented edition that will bring together for the first time in this format governments, public bodies, companies and investors from across the region
The meeting will take place within the framework of the 11th Energy Week and will bring together more than 25 ministries and public bodies from the 27 member countries of OLACDE .
Ministers, regulators, electricity companies, developers, technology providers, financial institutions, and investors will all converge at the same venue. The agenda will focus on private investment, public tenders, solar and wind energy competitiveness, energy storage, financing, and the transformation of energy companies.
There will also be sessions between CEOs and ministers, meetings between companies and governments, meetings with financial entities, and spaces for institutional and technical networking.
It is worth noting that the countries represented in OLACDE supply more than 600 million people , making the meeting one of the main points of contact between energy policy and private investment in the region.
Registration will be free and opportunities to participate can be managed through info@futurenergysummit.com .