Guatemala plans to acquire an additional 30 MW of power from its northern neighbor, which may also export to other Central American countries.
Monday, May 28, 2012
A statement from the Ministry of Energy in Mexico reads:
The Ministry of Energy in Mexico and the Ministry of Energy and Mines in the Republic of Guatemala have signed a letter of intent in which they set out, in good faith and in a non-binding way, a general framework for cooperation in the energy sector.
Both agencies agree to develop joint cooperative activities, as a priority, in electricity and hydrocarbons.
Regarding electricity, the goal is to increase electricity export from Mexico to Guatemala by 30 MW and later export to Central America. For this, the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) and the National Electrification Institute of Guatemala (INDE) are developing a work plan for a transmission line which is part of the Electric Interconnection System for Central American Countries (SIEPAC), be connected to the Mexico – Guatemala interconnection line.
In hydrocarbons, the objective is to carry out exploration for determining the possible existence of transboundary reservoirs located on both borders, and exchange of information on the subject.
The letter of intent was signed during the Model Development Seminar of the Mining Industry, Energy and Petroleum of Chile and Mexico, organized by the Ministry of Energy and Mines of the Republic of Guatemala.
The seminar was attended by the Secretary of Energy, Jordy Herrera Flores, and directors of the Federal Commission of Electricity and Mexican Petroleum.
In the second half of 2013 the country sold 450.9 GWh to the region, nearly four times more than the amount exported in the same period in 2012.
The energy crisis affecting countries such as Honduras has forced them to increase dependence on imported energy from Guatemala, which has become the leading supplier in Central America.
Guatemala is the most interested country in speeding up regulation establishing the model of firm contracts within the regional electricity market.
This was explained by Guatemalan Vice Minister of energy, Edwin Rodas.
The idea of this is to harness the Electrical Interconnection System for Central America (Siepac) not only for the sale of energy to other countries, but also to provide telecommunications services over optical fibers which these lines have.
The country sold its neighbors 166.16 GWh in 2010-2011 and could export more when the Siepac comes into operation.
During the period 2010-2011, Guatemala’s energy sales to neighboring countries totaled 166.16 gigawatt hours (GWh), which is an increase of 122%. In the 2009-2010 season (May to April) sales amounted to 74.74 GWh, according to the Wholesale Market Administrator (AMM in Spanish).
The last component of the electrical interconnection project between both countries would be ready for July 2010.
Panama has already completed its share of the project, which is located in an area called "Friendship Ring" ("Anillo de la Amistad"). Costa Rica must still complete two power lines.
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