Dominican Republic sets rules for integrating 200 MW and 800 MWh of batteries into existing renewable energy parks

The Dominican Republic's Superintendency of Electricity (SIE) approved the terms of reference for a tender to contract up to 200 MW of capacity and 800 MWh of battery storage, intended for existing renewable energy generation projects. The decision, formalized through Resolution SIE-141-2026-LCE dated October 29, 2026, establishes the participation requirements, contractual conditions, and timelines for the procedure.

The approval led to the official call for bids published by the distribution companies EDENORTE, EDESUR, and EDEESTE, coordinated by the Unified Council of Distribution Companies (CUED), under the supervision and oversight of the SIE.

The tender, identified as EDES-GER-SAEB-01-2026, is exclusively directed at existing non-dispatchable renewable energy generation projects that hold valid long-term supply contracts with the distribution companies and do not yet have battery energy storage systems (SAEB).

Unlike other procedures aimed at adding new renewable generation capacity, this tender seeks to add storage to already contracted facilities, through new battery-backed electricity purchase agreements.

The guidelines establish a minimum project size of 4 MW and cap the battery capacity at 50% of the total capacity granted under the concession.

The tender contemplates a single block of up to 200 MW and 800 MWh, representing a storage duration equivalent to four hours at full power.

According to the published conditions, each participant may submit bids for new battery systems with a minimum net nominal power of 4 MW. Meanwhile, the maximum storage capacity bid per project shall not exceed 50% of the concessioned capacity of the renewable energy park to which it is integrated.

In this manner, the battery power will be linked to the size of the existing renewable energy facilities, which must meet the established technical and operational conditions to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the systems.

The terms also restrict participation to legal entities established in the Dominican Republic that hold valid long-term supply contracts with EDENORTE, EDESUR, or EDEESTE.

Interested parties must demonstrate compliance with the required conditions and participate individually, in accordance with the conditions set by the tender committee.

15-year contracts and up to 12 months for their start

Another aspect defined by the procedure is the duration of the contracts to be signed with the selected projects.

The call for proposals establishes that long-term electricity purchase and sale contracts will have a term of 180 months, equivalent to 15 years.

It also provides for a period of 12 months, counted from the signing of each contract, for its commencement, in accordance with the conditions set forth in the tender.

The scheme will allow for the contracting of energy backed by new storage systems associated with existing renewable energy parks, with the aim of contributing to a more stable and reliable power supply for regulated users.

The contracting will be carried out through a competitive procedure, the results of which will determine the economic conditions applicable to the contracts that are ultimately signed.

Registration runs until November 11, with bid submissions scheduled for January 2027.

The publication of the guidelines also sets the initial deadlines for the procurement process.

Participant registration began on November 2, 2026, and will remain open until November 11. To complete the registration, interested parties must follow the instructions available on the official portal of the bidding committee and make a payment of 5,000 US dollars, or its equivalent in Dominican pesos according to the established reference exchange rate.

The guidelines and tender documents are available to registered participants through the official Compra Energía platform.

Subsequently, on January 15, 2027, at 10:00 a.m., the bid reception and the opening of non-economic proposals will take place at the venue to be determined and communicated in a timely manner by the organizing committee.

The procedure is still in its initial phase, so there are no awards or contracts resulting from this call.

A step forward in the storage plan announced in October

The approval of the terms represents a new step forward from the announcement made by the Ministry of Energy and Mines in October 2026, when the government advanced the preparation of a tender to incorporate 200 MW of batteries with four hours of storage into existing renewable energy parks.

On that occasion, the Minister of Energy and Mines, Joel Santos, also presented the country's plans to expand the integration of storage and strengthen the security of the electricity supply.

The procedure now formalized differs from other initiatives announced by the Executive because it is reserved for existing renewable energy facilities with valid contracts, rather than considering the contracting of new generation parks.

With Resolution SIE-141-2026-LCE and the opening of the participant registry, the Dominican Republic moves from the announcement of this storage capacity to the definition of the conditions that interested companies must meet to develop the projects.