The Dominican Republic, the largest economy in the Caribbean, has maintained steady growth over the past five years, accompanied by increasing energy needs. Due to its island status, renewable energies, especially solar photovoltaic and wind power, have been adopted as reliable, price-competitive, and rapidly deployable sources compared to fossil fuel alternatives that require more complex implementation, operation, and maintenance schemes.
However, the incorporation of these variable sources has posed new challenges for the National Interconnected Electric System (SENI), particularly regarding the stability and continuity of electricity supply. Faced with this scenario, the country has demonstrated a significant capacity to respond by advancing the implementation of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), with the goal of ensuring that the energy transition in the Dominican Republic is synonymous with progress and effectiveness.
BESS can be used to provide essential ancillary services, such as primary and secondary frequency regulation. With available technologies, especially through grid forming algorithms, and a clear regulatory framework that defines the rules for the agents involved, the Dominican Republic is moving towards greater operational continuity of the National Interconnected System (SENI) and better quality of supply, becoming a model with the potential to be replicated for other markets in Latin America and the Caribbean.
