At Yacht Carbon Offset, our mission is clear: to help clients take meaningful action against climate change by supporting verified carbon reduction projects around the world. But meaningful action requires more than ambition, it requires real impact. That is why we carefully select projects that not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also deliver tangible benefits to the communities that need them most.
Every project we support is certified by internationally recognised standards including Gold Standard, Verified Carbon Standard, UNFCCC, and Plan Vivo giving our clients confidence that their contributions are effective, transparent and trustworthy. Many of these projects are located in coastal and island nations, where climate action and community support are particularly critical. By linking our clients’ carbon credits to high-quality, high-impact initiatives, we turn abstract climate goals into measurable, real-world outcomes.
In 2025, and continuing into 2026, we decided to take our commitment a step further by visiting projects in person. Seeing the work on the ground allows us to witness the direct effects of our clients’ support on local communities, the environment and global emissions reductions.
The following is a personal account from our Managing Director, Rachel Goult, sharing her experiences in the Dominican Republic. Her reflections provide a vivid insight into both the scale of these projects and the real difference they are making.
The Journey Begins
My first visit took me to the Dominican Republic, home to two flagship renewable energy projects: the Larimar Wind Project and the Cumayasa Solar Project. These projects are popular with our clients not only for their proven emissions reductions but also for their proximity to the Caribbean winter destinations that many yacht owners frequent. I was able to combine the site visits with my annual trip to the Antigua Yacht Charter Show, making the most of my time in the region while keeping my travel footprint as low as possible.
Landing in Punta Cana, I was greeted with all the usual Caribbean charm: white sands, palm trees, and kilometres of beach-front hotels. Sounds luxurious? It should have been, but this is where my Dominican Republic adventure began!
Respectful of the company’s expense budget, I opted to book my Punta Cana accommodation via a well-known hotel reservation platform. After picking up my hire-car at the airport, I drove to the location of the ‘Sandy Bay Deluxe Suites’ (not its real name!) only to find…..nothing. Nada! Just a pile of rubble and a security guard, who swiftly sent me on my way. Not a great feeling at 10pm at night! Luckily(?), there were plenty of friendly locals who were delighted to lead me in the direction of alternative accommodation, via the local cash machine! The outcome was happily uneventful: an adequate room, in an adequate building for an extortionate price.
The following day, I set off west across the island to reach Enriquillo. The drive took around seven hours and offered a remarkable mix of experiences: smooth highways out of Punta Cana, the congestion of Santo Domingo, and the challenging single-track roads along the coast dotted with potholes, oncoming mopeds, livestock, and crossing pedestrians. However, the countryside made it all worthwhile, with vast sugarcane fields, banana plantations, dense jungle, and glimpses of the Caribbean Sea stretching into the horizon.
Larimar Wind Project: Giants On The Hills
Approaching Enriquillo from Los Blancos, the 29 turbines of the Larimar Wind Project come towering into view.
Developed and operated by La Empresa Generadora de Electricidad Haina (EGE Haina), one of the Dominican Republic’s leading power companies, the turbines stand between 140 and 150 metres tall, with blades spanning nearly 60 metres. Transporting each blade & support 70 kilometres along narrow, winding roads from the port was a remarkable engineering feat.
Larimar was constructed in two phases, which today operate as one facility. Together, the two sites have a power capacity of 87.8 Mega Watts (MW), representing 7% of the country’s renewable power capacity:
Phase |
Capacity (net)
|
% of Total Country Capacity, (6,800 MW) |
% of Renewable Country Capacity, (1,400 MW) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larimar 1 (commissioned in March 2016) |
49.5 | 0.73 | 3.5 |
| Larimar 2 (commissioned in October 2018) |
48.2 | 0.71 | 3.5 |
| Total | 97.8 | 1.44 | 7.0 |
The turbines produce electricity all year-round, provided the wind is blowing. Average annual production runs at around 345 days per year, with blades adjusting automatically to capture optimal wind. Visiting the control room and standing inside a turbine tower was a striking reminder of the scale and potential of renewable energy.
As with all projects certified by an international registry to issue carbon credits, Larimar Wind is reliant on the sale of carbon credits to underpin its project financing in addition to the revenues generated from the sales of electricity in the domestic grid. In 2025, the project is forecast to save 147,758 tonnes of CO₂e, creating an equal number of carbon credits. Without the additional funding from carbon finance, this project would not be viable.
The Larimar Wind Project is doing so much to lower the Dominican Republic’s greenhouse gas emissions. But they are doing more than that! Larimar also generates significant local benefits:
- Full-time employment for operational and security staff
- Educational programmes and training
- Support for local schools, universities, and hospitals
- Beach clean-ups and community initiatives
Thank you to the EGE Haina team for their time and warm welcome!
Cumayasa Solar Project: Harnessing The Caribbean Sun
The next destination of my Dominican Republic adventure was the site visit of the Cumayasa Solar Power project, located on the outskirts of La Romana about 100 km east of Santa Domingo.The 200-hectare site, built and operated by Ecoener, sits among dense woodland, and the journey along the rugged access road tested both patience and the hire car.
Cumayasa’s three sites collectively host 278,352 solar panels and contribute significantly to the Dominican Republic’s renewable energy generation. Together the three sites represent an impressive 9.3% of the country’s renewable power generation capacity:
Phase |
Capacity (net)
|
% of Total Country Capacity, (6,800 MW) |
% of Renewable Country Capacity, (1,400 MW) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumayasa 1 | 50 | 0.75 | 3.6 |
| Cumayasa 2 | 30 | 0.40 | 2.1 |
| Cumayasa 4 | 50 | 0.75 | 3.6 |
| Total | 130 | 1.90 | 9.3 |
The panels track the sun throughout the day and flatten automatically during high winds to prevent damage. Production is, of course, limited to day-light hours and ranges from 7 – 13 hours per day, depending on the time of year.
The positive environmental contribution from the Cumayasa Solar project is augmented by the social impact of the project. Ecoener actively supports the local community by:
- Provision of solar lights
- Food support for low-income residents
- Training in electricity and security
- Road improvements and infrastructure support
- Vaccination programmes
- Local agricultural initiatives, including sheep, poultry, and beehives
The scale and social impact of the project were evident throughout my visit. The Cumayasa Solar Project demonstrates how renewable energy and community development can go hand in hand.
Thank you to the Ecoener site operations team for a detailed and insightful site tour.
A Week Of Insights
Between site visits, I explored the south coast of the Dominican Republic. Highlights included Playa Cabo Rojo, with its postcard-perfect white sands, and the Colonial City of Santo Domingo, rich in history and culture. Some stops were less serene, including a night in Boca Chica, which certainly lived up to its reputation for “lively nightlife.”
Despite a cancelled flight and a last-minute detour through Tortola, the trip was invaluable. Seeing Larimar and Cumayasa in action brings these projects to life for our clients and showed me exactly why these projects matter. They deliver:
- Clean energy
- Significant CO₂e reductions
- Jobs and local economic support
- Education, health, and community benefits
By supporting these projects, Yacht Carbon Offset clients are contributing to a cleaner energy system in the Dominican Republic while helping communities thrive.
Thank you to every client who makes this possible.
By Rachel Goult, Managing Director, Yacht Carbon Offset
Carbon Offset of trip: 2.5 tonnes CO₂e