The advancement of battery storage in the Dominican Republic is entering a stage of strong acceleration driven by new tenders and the urgency to mitigate daily energy cuts, a scenario in which Servinca seeks to position itself with a clear differentiator: the ability to execute projects simultaneously in a market that is beginning to show its technical limits.
“The challenge will be mass implementation: when tenders for new parks and batteries for existing ones coincide, there will be a technical demand that few local companies will be able to meet,” said Executive Vice President Carlos Cabrera , during his participation in Future Energy Summit (FES) Caribbean.
This is no small matter in a market preparing for a new wave of projects, considering the new series of tenders for photovoltaic parks in operation and new developments with storage, in a package of opportunities that could exceed 800 MWh in the short term.
“It’s positive that existing parks can install batteries through a bidding process. However, given the urgency of the daily energy cuts, the ideal solution would have been to negotiate price ranges with existing projects instead of waiting for a bidding process that takes several months,” Cabrera stated, while warning about the economic impact of the delays.
The executive assured that at this stage "a great future opens up" for the entire value chain and companies, from developer, installer, start-up, to commissioning and post-operation.
Continue reading
Servinca, with 46 years in the sector, has built its position on a track record that covers the entire value chain of energy projects. It has developed more than 600 kilometers of transmission lines and participated in the construction of more than 78 substations, consolidating its presence in both the public and private sectors. In energy storage, it has over 65 MW of completed and ongoing BESS systems, in addition to having bid on more than 350 MW in various projects.
His foray into batteries occurred at an early stage of the market, when the technology was not yet considered bankable. Between 2014 and 2015, he participated in the installation of the first system in the country alongside Fluence, which allowed him to develop specific capabilities in the integration and implementation of this type of solution.
The accumulated experience also translates into a greater understanding of the risks associated with the technology, so Cabrera warned that it is not a standardized solution, but a discipline that demands specific knowledge and precision in execution, where even minor errors can have an impact on the operation of existing assets.
“Not everyone can install BESS; there’s a learning curve where an error in a SCADA signal puts the entire existing system at risk. Installing a BESS in a project that’s designed to be integrated from the start is one thing, but in existing projects, you have to consider the planning from the perspective of the current plant, the associated risks, and the work with the operating agent,” explained the Servinca representative.
In this regard, it is necessary to review in detail the technical specifications of cables, screws and other elements, since any failure may jeopardize the technical acceptance by insurers or rating agencies.
“We have seen different generations of BESS over the past 10 years,” Cabrera noted, highlighting that each stage involved new challenges in engineering, design, and planning.
“To provide a price and a timeframe, we need to work closely with the manufacturer. It's not just the BESS; it's also the medium-voltage switchgear that needs to be delivered to the substation. There are many technical and bankability challenges that must be considered to achieve a 100% approved project. My recommendation is to look at the details,” he emphasized.