Environmental

Monitoring begins on 300 MW hydroelectric project in Dominican Republic

Monitoring begins on 300 MW hydroelectric project in Dominican Republic

The Council for the Strategic Development of the City and Municipalities of Santiago (CDES), Dominican Republic, launched the monitoring and follow-up system for implementation of the 300 MW Las Placetas hydroelectric project.

Las Placetas will take advantage of the waters of the Bao and Jagua rivers. It will feature two cascade powerhouses, Uno and Dos, two reservoirs and a counter reservoir. The complex is anticipated to generate 560 GWh of electricity annually when completed.

According to BNamericas, the purpose of this methodological technical support is to verify that construction complies with criteria that ensure the sustainability and biodiversity of the hydrographic basins. This process — which also involves the Santiago Aqueduct and Sewerage Corporation (Coraasan), the provincial government and other organizations that bring together the CDES — intends to offer the Dominican Hydroelectric Generation Company (Egehid), in charge of the project, timely information so that physical and hydraulic works comply with environmental sustainability standards.

The CDES will verify and validate that the project is developed in light of the vision of the Santiago 2030 Development Plan.

Ricardo Fondeur, president of the CDES, said that the project will also act to supply drinking water to areas with deficiencies, and contribute to public health. He said that construction of a dam also would produce a socio-environmental impact that can be relevant at the local and regional level. CDES will base its intervention on five thematic axes: social and community inclusion, land use and land use planning, environmental sustainability, economy and competitiveness.

Coraasan’s participation will be through its ISO 9001 certified laboratories, which will allow surveys and monitoring of the water, to ensure its quality. As its director Andrés Burgos explained, the intention is that the quality of the waters improves as a result of this project.