Residents of Isla Saona spend their first Christmas with 100% renewable energy

• The Bayahibe Electricity Company turns on the 100% renewable energy plant with a storage capacity of 5 MWh which will change the life of more than 600 neighbors of Saona.

• Saona Island thus becomes the first and only island in the hemisphere to have 100% renewable energy.

Saona Island, January 3, 2023. The more than 600 residents of Isla Saona who lived until now in complete darkness and without drinking water, today can already enjoy their first Christmas with a completely reliable and environmentally friendly 24/7 electric service, thanks to the recent start-up by the Bayahibe Electricity Company (CEB) of the first 100% renewable energy plant which offers electric supply to the inhabitants as well as to the tourists on the beaches and to the businesses of the island.

More than one hundred residents of Saona and CEB’s top representatives attended the first ignition of the energy system that will improve the quality of life and the economy of the 110 km2 of the island, which receives an influx of more than 1 million tourists per year. In this way, Isla Saona becomes the first and only island in the hemisphere to be powered by 100% renewable energy.

The system is integrated by a structure of photovoltaic modules that store energy in sophisticated batteries and provide a reliable and continuous electrical service. These are state-of-the-art modules with an initial storage capacity of 5 MWh (megawatt hours) that could be expanded depending on the economic and social development of the community.

Rolando González Bunster, president of InterEnergy Group, parent company of CEPM and CEB, explains that the company could replicate this exemplary and reliable energy model to other areas of the Dominican Republic and other islands in the world to promote the development of clean technology. “We want Saona to be the flagship for the development of other similar projects throughout the country,” he says. Likewise, González Bunster highlights the positive impact that clean energy will have on Saona as a first step to contribute to a more sustainable development in this key area for the environment and tourism in the country, which will be accompanied by accessibility to pure drinking water, electric mobility and the installation of the cold chain so important for fishing in the area, among many other benefits.

The project, located in the Mano Juan area, has the unanimous support of the Saona Pro-Development Association and all the community members in the area. The president of the association, Eddy Quiñones, highlights the importance of the project for the life and activity of the people of Sao Paulo and assures that the arrival of the energy will represent a boost for the growth of the community.

Until now, for example, tourists could not extend their stay on the island for more than 4 hours because of the lack of energy in stores and restaurants. This situation will be reversed through the electric service that will arrive in a pioneering way to the island, and which will be administered through a prepaid system so that the inhabitants have greater control of their consumption.

Better quality of life

“I am very happy with the CEB project. I thought that at my age I would not see this advancement of light. Now I can watch television, turn on the fan or use the iron,” says Bienvenida Díaz, a resident of Saona since 1951. For Mercedes Rodríguez, another island resident, the arrival of the energy will help her soap-making business by allowing her to use the electric grinder she needs so badly. “With the machines, everything is easier. Now I’ll be able to do what I’ve always dreamed of,” he says.

The project developed by CEB includes the creation of an intelligent network of modules in different points of the living area, together with the correction and improvement of the electrical infrastructure of more than 120 houses, businesses and commercial premises in Saona, in addition to the restructuring of the electrical infrastructure of the school and the polyclinic, which will have free energy for better operation.

CEB’s commitment in Saona goes beyond technical projects and this year it has also moved into the social sphere. González Bunster recently delivered, during a special activity, electric stoves and toys to families on the island so that they can cook without propane tanks and play with their loved ones during the Christmas and New Year holidays.

About Saona Island

Saona Island is one of the largest islands in the Dominican Republic and is located off the coast of the province of La Altagracia. It is part of Cotubanamá National Park. The island is also a great tourist attraction for its beautiful beaches and natural beauties, receiving more than 1 million tourists a year.

About CEB

Compañía de Electricidad de Bayahibe (CEB) is a subsidiary company of Consorcio Energético Punta Cana-Macao, S. A. (CEPM), a company that generates, distributes and commercializes electric energy, with 30 years of history, which currently has more than 300 MW of installed capacity with which it supplies energy through 1,237 km of high, medium and low voltage networks, to more than 65% of the national hotel offer divided into nearly 55,000 hotel rooms and more than 50,000 residential, commercial and industrial clients, acting as a fundamental promoter of the tourist development of the areas of Punta Cana, Bavaro, Macao, Uvero Alto, Miches, Bayahibe and La Romana.

About InterEnergy

InterEnergy Group, CEB’s parent company, is one of the largest diversified clean energy companies in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Group operates power generation plants in the region, specifically in the Dominican Republic, Panama, Jamaica, Chile and Uruguay, with a total installed, available and under development capacity of 2.1GW.