Energy and Mines Minister to address Dominican Republic’s rare earth potential in Washington

Santo Domingo.- Energy and Mines Minister Joel Santos is participating in Dominican Week 2026 in Washington, D.C., where he will lead discussions on the Dominican Republic’s potential in rare earth elements and critical minerals.

Santos will be the main speaker at the event “Rare Earths and Critical Minerals: A Strategic Opportunity for the Dominican Republic” at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), where he will discuss the country’s exploration and characterization of potential deposits and efforts to strengthen international cooperation for their responsible development.

The minister’s participation comes as interest grows in the Dominican Republic’s critical mineral potential. The country and the United States recently established a cooperation framework focused on strengthening critical mineral and rare earth supply chains, promoting investment and identifying projects of mutual interest.

The Dominican Government and the European Union have also agreed to support studies on rare earth elements, gallium and scandium found in bauxite deposits within the Ávila Mining Fiscal Reserve in Pedernales.

Beyond mining, Santos will participate in a panel on the Hostos Project, which proposes a submarine electrical connection between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico through the Mona Passage. The project, presented by Caribbean Transmission Development Company, envisions a submarine cable with capacity of up to 700 megawatts.

The discussion will examine the potential integration of the two electricity markets and its implications for energy security, new generation capacity and regional interconnection.