NewsWhore
07-21-2008, 03:10 PM
The executive vice-president of the Dominican Corporation of State-owned Electrical Enterprises (CDEEE) has announced that as of today the blackouts that have been plaguing many parts of the country will be reduced. He said that 400 megawatts of power will return to the national system.
Radhames Segura attributed the blackouts to technical issues and financial problems.
Segura provided details of several issues during a quickly assembled press conference, saying that he had instructed the generators to keep generation levels at 85%, so that the sectors that receive least electricity will get at least 18 hours a day. The Dominican Republic has an electricity demand nearing 2000 megawatts and generates just 1700 megawatts.
Addressing the financial problems, Segura said that the CDEEE will pay Cogentrix US$4 million of the US$16 million owed, and Cogentrix will put its 300 megawatts back on-line. Beginning yesterday, some 170 megawatts provided by the San Felipe (formerly Smith and Enron) generation facility started to come back on-line. This generator, which supplies part of the north coast, had been experiencing mechanical difficulties. Also coming back on-line are the Itabo II's 125 megawatts and the 100 megawatts from the San Pedro facility that had overdue fuel invoices.
Segura also said that one factor that is complicating the electricity situation is the fact that the country's hydroelectric dams are reporting very low water levels in their reservoirs, including the Moncion, Tavera, Juguey, Aguacate and Valdesia dams that are supposed to supply 200 megawatts to the system. Segura emphasized the effects of increasing prices for coal, natural gas and oil on the nation's electricity bill and gave the example of the June 2008 invoices, which were over US$50 million higher than the invoices for June 2007.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#1)
Radhames Segura attributed the blackouts to technical issues and financial problems.
Segura provided details of several issues during a quickly assembled press conference, saying that he had instructed the generators to keep generation levels at 85%, so that the sectors that receive least electricity will get at least 18 hours a day. The Dominican Republic has an electricity demand nearing 2000 megawatts and generates just 1700 megawatts.
Addressing the financial problems, Segura said that the CDEEE will pay Cogentrix US$4 million of the US$16 million owed, and Cogentrix will put its 300 megawatts back on-line. Beginning yesterday, some 170 megawatts provided by the San Felipe (formerly Smith and Enron) generation facility started to come back on-line. This generator, which supplies part of the north coast, had been experiencing mechanical difficulties. Also coming back on-line are the Itabo II's 125 megawatts and the 100 megawatts from the San Pedro facility that had overdue fuel invoices.
Segura also said that one factor that is complicating the electricity situation is the fact that the country's hydroelectric dams are reporting very low water levels in their reservoirs, including the Moncion, Tavera, Juguey, Aguacate and Valdesia dams that are supposed to supply 200 megawatts to the system. Segura emphasized the effects of increasing prices for coal, natural gas and oil on the nation's electricity bill and gave the example of the June 2008 invoices, which were over US$50 million higher than the invoices for June 2007.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#1)