WIRSOL commences the largest Caribbean solar park
WIRSOL has started the construction of the biggest solar park of the Caribbean in the Dominican Monte Plata province with a total capacity of 64.14 megawatts (MW). The international service provider for renewable energies wants to complete the first phase with 32.14 MW and go on the grid by the end of the year.
"Due to our many years of experience, both the local population and the Dominican government have significant trust in us," says Markus Wirth, Member of WIRSOL's Board of Directors. "President Danilo Medina Sánchez has personally awarded the country's first power purchase agreement to us," Wirth continues.
Monte Plata is the Dominican Republic's first solar park.
Owing to an increase in population the last few years to over 10 million inhabitants and rapid economic growth in the region, the Caribbean island nation´s demand for electricity has risen dramatically. In the Dominican Republic energy still comes primarily from expensive fossil fuels such as diesel and gas. The large solar power station is a cost-effective and sustainable alternative for the local electricity supply.
Irradiation in the Caribbean is about 50% higher than in Germany, yet up to now the sun has barely been used as a resource in the region.
"The government provides indirect support for projects with renewable energies through a favorable tax treatment," the consul of the Dominican Republic in Madrid, Frank Bencosme explains.
With its UN-registration as an emissions-reducing power station, the plant has received an official quality seal for sustainable development from Geneva. Already upon completion of the first construction phase, up to 33,000 tons of Carbon emissions a year can be avoided.
For the large-scale Monte Plata project, WIRSOL was able to rely on a strong network of contractors from the Dominican Republic. In the future the technical management as well as new projects in the region will be implemented by the local subsidiary company WIRSOL Caribbean.
