CMC – An underwater power line will be installed between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic by Caribbean Transmission Development (CTDC).
According to the Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Día, the Electric Power Authority (PREPA) and LUMA Energy are exploring measures to stabilise the fragile energy system across Puerto Rico in the medium term.
This includes considering the construction of an underwater interconnection cable to the Dominican Republic.
The cable would grant Puerto Rico access to additional electricity generation resources. The cover story, titled “Submarine Electric Cable to Connect Puerto Rico with the Dominican Republic for Enhanced System Stability,” details this potential development.
According to CTDC, it is developing a high-voltage submarine interconnection cable named “Hostos” between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic to link the two energy networks.
The cable, operating at 320 kilowatts direct current, boasts a capacity to transport electricity of up to 500MW in any direction without interrupting the operations of either network. It will also enable Puerto Rico’s grid to restart in the event of a complete loss of power.
This is necessary as recent hurricanes and insufficient investment in Puerto Rico’s electrical system have significantly weakened its energy generation and distribution capacity. Hurricanes Irma and María in 2017 caused massive losses and subsequent storms such as Beryl, Dorian, Karen, Isaias, Laura, Teddy, Fiona, and Nicole have further strained the country’s energy infrastructure.
Despite investing over US$9 billion since Irma to rebuild the system, Puerto Rico’s main electricity generation system is between 50 and 70 years old, with the two most recent power plants built in the 1990s.
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