In a rising concern for residents and officers alike, Dominica is going through a mounting vitality disaster.
The island nation’s growing old energy vegetation, as soon as the spine of its electrical energy provide, at the moment are grappling to maintain tempo with the surging demand for vitality.
This was disclosed on the press convention of Dominica Electrical energy Providers Ltd (DOMLEC) on Thursday, with one among its prime officers calling the scenario to be “inadequate era capability.”
“We now have been seeing in 2023 elevated consumption, what you name elevated load, so our peak up to now for the yr is 17.62 megawatts,” DOMLEC Manager Bertilia McKenzie explained.
She went on to spotlight the distinction with 2021 when the height was 16.38 megawatts, representing a big improve of over 1 megawatt in buyer consumption in 2023 in comparison with two years prior. In 2022, the height was additionally excessive at 16.35 megawatts.
McKenzie emphasised that not solely are Dominicans consuming extra energy in 2023, however DOMLEC can be grappling with the problem of growing old equipment.
“This elevated demand coincides with an growing old era fleet, significantly an growing old diesel era fleet, the place 10 megawatts of era capability have surpassed their meant lifespan and are overdue for retirement,” she identified.
To promptly deal with the emergency, DOMLEC is leasing two megawatts of short-term era from an outdoor supply.
McKenzie additionally careworn the necessity of further era, citing Dominica’s first geothermal plant that will likely be commissioned “in a number of years.”
The development of the plant, which is anticipated to generate 10,000 kilowatts, is on-going with transmission networks at present being arrange as the following section of the challenge.
Dominica’s Citizenship by Funding (CBI) Programme performs an important position in financing the geothermal challenge along with the monetary assist supplied by the World Financial institution.
This CBI initiative has been instrumental within the reconstruction and enchancment of Dominica following the damaging affect of Storm Erika and Hurricane Maria.
With the MMC Development Ltd., a personal growth agency with a longstanding partnership with the federal government, the development of quite a few climate-resilient residential buildings and important infrastructure had been made potential with the CBI programme.
Furthermore, MMC Improvement Ltd. has been entrusted with the duty of overseeing the event of Dominica’s bold worldwide airport.
