After several years of carrying out studies of the work, the governments announced that they plan to begin working on the standardization of regulations to sign the agreement of the electrical interconnection project.
In a press release published on March 19, Panama's Presidency stated that Panama's Energy Secretary, Victor Urrutia, informed that the Agreement required for the implementation of the electric interconnection project that will link the Andean and Central American systems will soon be signed.
For the third time the deadline to deliver the project to build 866 kilometers of lines under Energy Transportation System Expansion Plan in Guatemala has been postponed, this time until 2020.
The extension now granted by the Ministry of Energy and Mines is for three years and two months starting from September, when the work was due to start operating completely, under the responsibility of Transportadora de Energía de Centroamérica SA (Trecsa).
For the third time, the contractor in charge of the Transmission Expansion Plan in Guatemala, will not meet the deadline to finalize the works.
The amount of progress on the Electric Expansion Plan (PET), whose contract was awarded to the Colombian company Trecsa more than seven years ago, is only 66%.The project was supposed to have been be ready and in operation since 2013, but the company contracted asked the governments in office at the time for two extensions - in 2013 and 2015.
Completion of construction of the Transmission Expansion Plan 1-2009 is still delayed, awaiting a decision from the government on how to resolve the problem of the passage of a 230 Kv line through the Dulce River in Izabal.
Following problems related to buying rights of way, which delayed the project awarded to the company Trecsa, difficulties have now arisen related to the passage of a transmission line through one of the tourist attraction areas in Izabal. The company in charge of the project says it has presented different alternatives, such as creating an underwater connection and an underground one, but the government dismissed these because of the additional costs involved.
With funding from two international banks, Transportadora de Energía de Centroamérica will develop the Transmission Expansion Plan 1-2009.
"...As soon as the Expansion Transmission Plan (ETP) is finished, more than 30 power plants will be able to connect to the new energy transport system, contributing to the diversification of the energy network and reducing rates by an estimated 25%, according to the authorities in Guatemala's electricity sector. "
Building a road connecting Panama with South America through Colombia would open up a wide range of opportunities for business and economic development in Central America.
EDITORIAL
Panama has the responsibility to take on the challenge of building a road through the jungle area of the Panamanian territory and open up a channel of communication with Colombia, to allow the power transmission and the connectivity of people and goods Centralamerica needs with the south.
In Guatemala an award of lots one and three has been made to Fersa and Transportista Eléctrica Centroamericana, respectively, for the works to expand the national grid.
The Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) has awarded four of the five lots which are included in the tender. The sections of the southwest, northwest and northeast of the country were awarded to Fersa SA, while the southeastern portion was awarded to Transportista Eléctrica de Centroamérica.. "... The offers submitted for Lot C were declared out of range, therefore the tender will be analyzed once again. "
With a bank loan the company Transportadora de Energía de Centroamérica will complete the expansion of the electricity transport system in the country.
The Guatemalan subsidiary of Grupo de Energia de Bogota, will use the funds to complete the project investing in energy transport, which is to build and launch more than 850 kilometers of transmission lines and 12 new high voltage substations, as well expansion of 12 existing substations.
The government of Guatemala is inviting companies to take part in an international tender for the construction of 604 kilometers of the electrical transmission network.
As previously announced on July 15, the Ministry of Energy and Mines in Guatemala has convened a formal tender to expand electricity coverage of the country through ".... the installation of 29 new substations, expansion of 22 existing ones and the adaptation of 51 kilometers of line."
The Expansion Plan by the Electricity Transmission Network in Guatemala will not be completed in October 2013, due to problems in the granting of permits and rights of way.
Carmen Urízar, president of the National Energy Commission (CNEE by its initials in Spanish), expressed concern over the delays at Trecsa (subsidiary of the Colombian consortium BSE-EDM Guatemala who won the bid for the project), because now the execution of the work should be 80% complete, but it is only 60% complete, which is about 511 kilometers out of the agreed 853.
Trelec, a company that specializes in the electric power transmission, will invest in the country’s second power grid expansion project.
The project comprises the construction of three ring networks in the central region of Guatemala and is scheduled to begin in 2013. 760,000 people will benefit.
“The first ring will reinforce the capital’s network and cost $10 million; the second, in the south (Escuintla) will cost $13.5 million; the final ring in the center-west region (Antigua, Amatitlán and Villa Nueva) will cost $10.5 million,” reports Elperiodico.com.gt.
The Electric Energy Commission could launch a bidding process to build and install secondary transmission lines.
Carlos Colom, president of the Energy Commission, explained that these lines (69 and 138 volts) are included in the Electrical Transmission Expansion Plan (PET).
“The objective is to reduce the losses in the electricity distribution system, which account for 300 GWh per year or $250 million”, reported Prensalibre.com.
The project to expand the country’s energy distribution network (PET), will trim energy losses in $109 million per year.
A contract to execute the project was signed yesterday by Energy Ministry authorities and representatives from the winning consortium, “EEB-EDM Proyecto Guatemala”.
“According to the Ministry, energy losses range from $270 million to $300 million, and they would drop to between $161 million and $191 million”, reported Prensalibre.com.
The consortium "EEB/EDM Proyecto Guatemala", who was awarded the contract through public contest, will start expanding the electrical power grid in March 2010.
This consortium is composed by Mexican and Colombian companies, and will develop the project known as "PET" (Electrical Transmission Expansion Plan), by building 817.9 kilometers of electric power grid.
From the three companies, the lowest-priced bid was submitted by EEB-EDM Proyecto Guatemala.
The contract will be awarded on January 22, 2010, after the proposals are evaluated by energy authority CNEE.
EEB-EDM Proyecto Guatemala "...would charge $32.349.900 per year for 15 years (a total $485 million) for transporting energy", reported Prensalibre.com.