The Superintendency of Electricity (SIE) in the Dominican Republic has announced a new tender to procure up to 200 MW / 800 MWh of battery energy storage systems (BESS). These systems will be co-located with existing solar and wind projects that have active long-term power purchase agreements with utilities Edenorte, Edesur, and Edeeste.
Eligible projects must not already have energy storage systems installed. Each facility can integrate new batteries, but the storage capacity must not exceed 50% of the plant’s net nominal generation capacity. The total capacity of 200 MW / 800 MWh corresponds to a requirement for four hours of duration.
According to the SIE, projects selected through the tender must install the systems and secure a commercial operation date (COD) certificate within 12 months. If conditions are satisfied, power supply can commence upon obtaining this certificate. The battery installations are required to be located on the same site as the generation plants they support.
The objective of this initiative is to enhance the dispatchability of existing solar and wind generation to address peak demand periods on the National Interconnected Electric System (SENI). The SIE believes that incorporating battery storage will allow for more efficient use of already-contracted renewable energy sources without necessitating the construction of new generation facilities.
The timeline for the tender indicates that contracts will be awarded by February 25, 2027. The process will involve multiple stages, including the call for bids, registration, qualification reviews, bid submissions and evaluations, culminating in the final contract awards. Prior to the opening of financial bids, the SIE is also set to establish allowable reference costs consistent with the price cap and floor rules outlined in the tender regulations.
Successful bidders will enter into a new supply contract that is separate from their existing agreements with the distribution companies. The bid price will be structured as a discount against the energy price specified in the current contracts, although this will apply solely to the new agreement linked to the battery system and will not modify the original power purchase agreements (PPAs).
The awarded systems must meet the technical criteria stipulated in Resolution SIE-178-2025-MEM and adhere to applicable ancillary services regulations, including provisions for frequency and voltage regulation.
This tender follows a previous initiative for up to 600 MW of new solar and wind generation with mandatory energy storage, for which financial bids were submitted in April 2023. Unlike the earlier tender, which focused on new renewable projects, this current process aims to retrofit operational facilities already under contract with the country’s utilities.
