Dominican lawmakers eye US$700M+ savings by switching to natural gas

Santo Domingo.- The Vice President of the Senate, as well as members of the Treasury and Energy Commission of both legislative chambers, valued the savings of nearly US$235 million that the Government has already had as a result of the conversion to natural gas of generation plants that worked with derived fuels of oil and favored the entire national electricity matrix to switch to producing with cleaner and cheaper fuels.

Senator José de Castillo Saviñón, a member of the Senate’s Treasury and Energy committees, expressed that they are savings for the national electricity system, especially now when oil prices are above 120 dollars a barrel.

“We must continue promoting that conversion process that began in the last government, towards much cheaper energy sources. There is no doubt that this is what is convenient, this is what has been the global trend in order to generate savings in the National Interconnected System.”

He stated that the ideal is for the entire National Electric System to be transformed to energy generation at the cheapest systems. He indicated that there is coal, which has the problem that it is polluting, and natural gas, which is the second cheapest.

“The ideal is that this be promoted and that from the electricity sector, both the new plants that are being considered to be built, since the Government has announced a tender for about 2,000 megawatts and announced a tender for Manzanillo for 2 natural gas power plants, then they are the cheapest fuels that are available, in this case natural gas is a viable option, less polluting than coal and at much more affordable prices than the traditional fossil fuel that is basically fuel oil,” Del Castillo said.

Likewise, the vice president of the Senate, Santiago José Zorrilla, said the Gov. has already saved almost US$235 million and US$518.2 million is projected as of 2023 for the conversion of electricity generation plants that previously worked with petroleum-derived fuels.