Spanish
Santo Domingo. The Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) presented the update of the "Emission Factor of the Electrical Grid for the National Interconnected Electrical System (SENI)", an indicator used to quantify the carbon emissions produced by electricity generation in the country on the environment.
The Vice Minister of Innovation and Energy Transition of the MEM, Betty Soto, explained that the results obtained in the update will allow public and private authorities to take the necessary measures and implement the corresponding policies to guarantee the reduction of carbon emissions.
"With the updated information in this report, we will be able to calculate the carbon footprint generated by the use of electricity and measure the impact of its activities, as well as promote the implementation of actions and policies that contribute to the transition for the benefit of the environment and future generations," he said.
In addition, he highlighted that, thanks to a local consulting team and the support of public and private sector organizations and Winrock International, all the calculations for the quantification of atmospheric pollutants could be carried out in a period of four months under principles of transparency, accuracy, comparability and consistency established by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Meanwhile, Max Puig, executive vice president of the National Council for Climate Change, said that the CO2 emission factor of the SENI is a crucial indicator for mitigating climate change that has been outdated since February 2023 and is very necessary for short and medium-term energy scenario projections, specifically for low-carbon energy exploration.
"In the document shown to us, we will be able to count on updated results on an Emission Factor of SENI for the Dominican Republic, which has 84% conventional energy and 16% of the special renewable regime at the end of December 2024," Puig added during his intervention.
Iván Relova, leader of the consulting team hired, highlighted that the update covers from the year 2019 to 2024 to have a new emission factor for the electricity grid in the Dominican Republic.
"Having this factor indicates all the energy projections in the coming years, based on renewable projects that can enter the country's energy matrix," explained Delgado.
Chadia Abreu, advisor on Clean Energy and Climate Situations of the MEM, reiterated that the CO2 emission factor for the SENI is a key indicator for mitigating climate change, which "allows us to evaluate the reduction of CO2 emissions associated with the production of electricity in an electrical grid with renewable resources, as well as the implementation of energy efficiency."
Also present during the activity were Gabriela Márquez, Director of Climate Change of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MMARN); as well as representatives from the National Energy Commission (CNE), the Superintendency of Electricity (SIE), and the National Council for Climate Change and Clean Development Mechanism (CNCCMDL).
Electric Grid Emission Factor for SENI
The report presents the update of the CO₂ emission factor of the National Interconnected Electrical System (SENI) of the Dominican Republic, based on the "Tool 07 v7.0" methodology of the UNFCCC (UNFCCC), applicable to projects under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).
The update is part of the pilot initiative of the Energy Transition Accelerator (ETA), promoted after COP27 with the support of the World Bank and the Hewlett Foundation, to promote the transparency and effectiveness of carbon markets in developing countries.
The study covers the period 2019–2024, using detailed data from the Coordinating Body (OC-SENI) on electricity generation and fuel consumption by plant, broken down by hour, day, month, and year. Isolated systems such as CEPM were excluded as they do not represent more than 10% of the installed capacity.
The new emission factor provides a robust technical basis for more accurately assessing the carbon footprint of electricity consumption, formulating energy efficiency and energy transition policies, and supporting the design and monitoring of CDM projects and climate strategies aligned with the Paris Agreement.
