NewsWhore
09-15-2006, 04:30 PM
It will cost Dominicans at least US$120 million to convert the Cogentrix and Itabo fuel oil plants to run on natural gas, as reported in Diario Libre. The 300-megawatt Cogentrix plant, built by the Fernandez government in its first administration at a cost of US$267 million is closed, due to the high cost of operation. Nevertheless, the plant costs Dominican tax payers US$60 million a year (as reported by Bernardo Vega), as a result of a contract signed in 1998 by then Technical Secretary of the Presidency, Temisticoles Montas, who currently holds the same position, that makes it less costly for the plant to remain shut down than to operate the fuel-oil plant. This would also require the investment of US$16 million in the construction of a gas line from the AES Andres natural gas terminal in Andres, Boca Chica to San Pedro de Macoris, where the Cogentrix plant is located. Another US$4 million would be needed to convert the plant to natural gas. Diario Libre reports that the US$20 million investment will come from the government and Cogentrix.
This would make 550 megawatts available for the national power grid. The plan for Itabo is to convert these to combined cycle plants, to take advantage of the gases generated by the turbine to generate power. The conversion would take about a year and will cost US$100 million, for a US$120 million total conversion for both the Cogentrix and Itabo plants. The government owns 50% of Itabo, while Cogentrix is 100% foreign-owned.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#4)
This would make 550 megawatts available for the national power grid. The plan for Itabo is to convert these to combined cycle plants, to take advantage of the gases generated by the turbine to generate power. The conversion would take about a year and will cost US$100 million, for a US$120 million total conversion for both the Cogentrix and Itabo plants. The government owns 50% of Itabo, while Cogentrix is 100% foreign-owned.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#4)