NewsWhore
09-11-2009, 06:20 PM
While the new CDEEE administrator is calling for the heads of those who steal electricity, Diario Libre reporter Jose Javier writes about how technical issues and very low water levels in the hydroelectric reservoirs prevent them from supplying more than 90 megawatts to the entire system. The dams are also under a new administrator, engineer Frank Rodriguez.
The reporter says that of the 80 generators in the country, only 5 offer optimum service, and what's worse is that of the 38 hydroelectric dams, only 18 were working yesterday afternoon.
Of the 20 hydroelectric facilities that were not working, three have been out of service since 2007. Los Anones has been out since May 2007 because of "flooding of its machine room," according to the coordinator of the National Interconnected Electric System (SENI). Nonetheless, as of February 2009, the Hydro-Electric Generation Enterprise (EGEHID) had income of US$3.61 million and a surplus of US$5.12 million. Apparently the EGEHID did not have the resources to repair the 3 hydroelectric facilities that have been out of service since 2007, or to provide maintenance for the majority of the hydroelectric power plants in the country. But it did spend a lot of money on a substation at another dam, but it is also off-line due to low water levels.
At the same time the government is investing heavily in new dams, with US$300 million in Pinalito to produce 50 megawatts.
Out of service are Aguacate 1 and 2, since 29 October 2007 for a "major overhaul". The other 17 facilities went off-line this year: Jimenoa because of problems with a floodgate, Jiguey 1 and Lopez Angostura for "major maintenance work".
Low water levels are keeping Domingo Rodriguez 1 and 2 offline, but it was here in San Juan de la Maguana province that the government recently inaugurated a 69kw transmission line and a new sub-station at a cost of RD$118 million. Baiguaque1 and Madrigal don't have enough water and Gaiguaque 2 blew a circuit breaker. The situation is similar at the other hydroelectric installations.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#4)
The reporter says that of the 80 generators in the country, only 5 offer optimum service, and what's worse is that of the 38 hydroelectric dams, only 18 were working yesterday afternoon.
Of the 20 hydroelectric facilities that were not working, three have been out of service since 2007. Los Anones has been out since May 2007 because of "flooding of its machine room," according to the coordinator of the National Interconnected Electric System (SENI). Nonetheless, as of February 2009, the Hydro-Electric Generation Enterprise (EGEHID) had income of US$3.61 million and a surplus of US$5.12 million. Apparently the EGEHID did not have the resources to repair the 3 hydroelectric facilities that have been out of service since 2007, or to provide maintenance for the majority of the hydroelectric power plants in the country. But it did spend a lot of money on a substation at another dam, but it is also off-line due to low water levels.
At the same time the government is investing heavily in new dams, with US$300 million in Pinalito to produce 50 megawatts.
Out of service are Aguacate 1 and 2, since 29 October 2007 for a "major overhaul". The other 17 facilities went off-line this year: Jimenoa because of problems with a floodgate, Jiguey 1 and Lopez Angostura for "major maintenance work".
Low water levels are keeping Domingo Rodriguez 1 and 2 offline, but it was here in San Juan de la Maguana province that the government recently inaugurated a 69kw transmission line and a new sub-station at a cost of RD$118 million. Baiguaque1 and Madrigal don't have enough water and Gaiguaque 2 blew a circuit breaker. The situation is similar at the other hydroelectric installations.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#4)