Since the pilot plan to test the efficiency of ethanol use in gasoline in Guatemala has yielded the first positive results, the authorities plan to present a bill to regulate its use in the first quarter of 2021.
In 2014 and 2015 a pilot plan was already carried out in Guatemala, which will be resumed for 10 weeks, a period in which tests will be carried out to mix 5% to 10% ethanol, in the different gasoline that are consumed locally.
The bill presented by the Executive Branch of Costa Rica to transform the state refinery Recope empowers the State to make alliances with private companies and "incursion into alternative chemical energy", but maintains the monopoly of fossil fuels.
On April 8, 2019, the Alvarado administration presented an initiative before the Legislative Assembly that seeks to transform the Costa Rican Oil Refinery (Recope) into the Costa Rican Company of Alternative Fuels and Energies (Ecoena).
The sugar mill union could be investing $160 million in energy generation projects that use ethanol and in the construction of a biomass-based power plant.
Without giving further details, members of the sugar trade union reported that they are planning to build a biomass power generation plant in the short term, which could be the most modern one in Central America.
In October 2017 production limits and the "out of -quota" production concept will eliminate for the manufacture of biofuel and industrial non-food products.
The current production quota for sugar according to the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which applies to the 28 countries in the bloc, is 13.5 million tons per year.The production capacity of sugar producers in the European bloc is higher than the quota, therefore eliminating production limits will lead to a lowering of prices due to excess supply, similar to what has already happened in the milk market following the elimination of production quotas.
Price of gallon of regular gasoline: Panama $2.61, Guatemala $2.58, El Salvador $2.65, Honduras $3.20, Nicaragua $3.28, and Costa Rica, $3.93.
From a statement issued by the Ministry of Economy of El Salvador:
Variations in international prices of refined products (gasoline and diesel) over the last few weeks have influenced prices in Central America, allowing El Salvador to be located in second position in terms of the lowest prices of gasoline and diesel Central America.
A cooperative and a private company are negotiating a $500 million finance deal to cultivate 120 hectares of coyol and install five oil processing plants to produce biofuel.
The plan was devised by the cooperative Coopeciagro RL, and according to its CEO, Luis Fernando Escalante, they already have identified 60,000 hectares in the north and another 60 thousand in Guanacaste."...The plan requires an estimated $500 million in financing, which will be raised from European pension and investment funds and the signing of which only depends on an initial guarantee $600,000, according those promoting the project."
In the last week the price of a metric ton of palm oil went from $560 to $710, due to increased demand for the product to be used as biofuel and the fall in production in Asia.
The rise in biofuels and the fall in production of palm oil in Asia, the world's leading supplier, has benefited the price of oil derived from these plantations worldwide, rising from $560 to $710 in the last week of March.
Palm producers claim to have sufficient inventory and are asking for exclusivity in the supply of raw material for the production of biofuels.
Industry representatives argue that they currently have a surplus of 130,000 tons of oil being exported in order to generate biofuel in other countries. The proposal submitted by the producers to lawmakers in the Special Standing Committee on the Environment aims to "...
Costa Rica's state oil company has announced an agreement with China to incorporate into the design of an oil refinery "production of biofuels and green fuels as a fundamental linchpin of operations".
EDITORIAL
Several years ago Costa Rica became embroiled in a serious problem after signing contracts with the Chinese government and Chinese companies for the financing and construction of an oil refinery.
The government has announced that it will extend the effective date of the regulation establishing the use of low sulfur diesel and has agreed compliance with the productive sector starting from April 2015.
The Ministry of Energy and Mines has decided not to ask the Council of Ministers for Economic Integration (Comieco) to delay the extension for five years of the enactment of regulations governing the use of clean diesel in the country.
Campos de Pesé has indefinitely suspended the production and marketing of ethanol because the price set by the government for the biofuel does not even cover the cost of acquiring sugar cane.
The 40% decrease in the ethanol price established by the government last August affected the cost structure of the company, which in a statement sent to the media said that the decision taken by the government "...
The Colombian sugar company Mayagüez has acquired a 60% stake in Casur Sugar Holdings, owner of ingenio Benjamin Zeledon, in the department of Rivas.
The company Casur Sugar Holdings has 1,900 employees and can grind 645.185 tonnes of cane, producing 1.2 million sacks of sugar a year, with sales of more than $38.3 million.
Elnuevodiario.com.ni reports that the Colombian company "...
SMEs in developing countries could generate jobs and significant growth by taking advantage of the market opportunities offered by clean technologies.
From a report by the World Bank:
SMEs in developing countries could generate significant growth and jobs if they take advantage of market opportunities that offer clean technologies, which reach up to $1.6 trillion.