Dominica Electricity Services Ltd. (DOMLEC) is set to perform essential assessments on a newly deployed Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at the Fond Colé Power Plant, as the company nears the completion of this system’s commissioning. Achieving this milestone signifies a significant advancement towards enhancing the reliability and resilience of electricity supply in Dominica, said a company statement.
The newly installed BESS boasts a total capacity of 6MW/6MWh, which DOMLEC shares will significantly bolster its capacity to operate the electricity grid more effectively, furnish spinning reserves, and uphold system stability, especially as Dominica progresses towards a future dominated by renewable energy. Notably, the statement added that this system will enhance protection and reliability of the electricity grid, particularly in light of the forthcoming geothermal plant’s commissioning on the island.
Dwayne Cenac, the General Manager of DOMLEC, expressed his enthusiasm regarding this initiative: “We are very excited about what this means for the future of energy on our island. The BESS will help improve system reliability, reduce diesel generation overtime, and ultimately support more stable electricity supply to our consumers,”
Acknowledging that during the testing phase, some minor inconveniences may occur as temporary service interruptions could take place, Cenac reassures customers that the company expects these disruptions to be minimal.
“While this testing period may cause some inconvenience, it is an essential step toward ensuring a stronger, more resilient electricity supply for Dominica and we do hope that these interruptions will be minimal.”
Richard Wilson, Systems Engineer at DOMLEC, also provided reassurance, stating, “We are committed to minimising any impact on our customers during the commissioning period. Our team will carry out all testing activities with the utmost attention to safety and efficiency.”
The BESS is situated in Fond Colé on land owned by the government, nestled between DOMLEC’s two-generation plants, and is produced by the global technology firm Huawei. Under a leasing arrangement with the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica (GoCD), DOMLEC will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the BESS, ensuring its seamless integration into the electricity grid with comprehensive training provided for staff.
According to the report, this BESS initiative is supported by a unique funding collaboration between the United Arab Emirates / Caribbean Renewable Energy Fund (UAE/CREF) and the GoCD. The Emirati renewable energy company MASDAR is overseeing the project on behalf of the UAE/CREF, while Smart Energy from France is appointed as the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contractor.
After it becomes fully functional, the company promises that BESS will align with DOMLEC’s broader vision of transitioning towards a greater reliance on renewable energy sources, contributing to Dominica’s sustainable energy objectives.
The purpose of this is to act as a UPS when the geothermal plant comes into service. When maintenance has to be done on the geothermal plant, it will provide power until the diesel gensets are turned on….simply.
So is it solar/wind/waves? After reading this about storage and battery, what is that storage for, may I ask? If solar, why geothermal again?
I’ll read it again. lol
Don’t you have information at your fingertips, your issue is, you need to fully understand what is a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)
Duh lol, I know, Iwill look it up, but just be up front are they doing a solar farm at some place Padu or somewhere? ahh…never mind.
so they installed a system designed to store wind and solar power produced during low use times and have no wind or solar to charge up the system . plus u have the added high maintenance costs of battery systems that will be added to bill on heavily burdened dominicans .
in case people dont know battery storage systems are used for wind and solar . for example on a Sunday when majority of the island is at home chilling and industries and big stores/ commercial properties are shut down. so there is no load to use up power produced by the wind or solar . so to keep from wasting the produced energy it is stored ,
but in dca we have padu and tr to produce our base load and then fond cole that is diesel powered can be shut down and rapidly started up to take your loads .
shutting down a generator during low use times is alot cheaper for the customer
but DOMLEC see a way to charge customers more money so they installed this
Please go and find what is a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), If you do not understand something, why make such comment and why the silly suggestion that quote DOMLEC see a way to charge customers more money so they installed this”wow.
Andy, it’s politicians and news media giving you the info. Tthey don’t get it, and by attrition, you’ll never get it.
if Trump was prime Minister…he would have fired all domlec directors for their inefficiencies….Trump would have fix Dominica In a shake…as for the cbi program…..jail….