During the first nine months of 2020, imports of electric generators increased year-on-year in Nicaragua and Guatemala, and decreased in Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras and El Salvador.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with the graphic"].
In the first three months of 2020, Central American companies bought electric motors and generators abroad for $29 million, 39% less than what was reported for the same period in 2019.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graph"]
From November 20 to 22, the second edition of the Gas and Energy Summit of the Americas will be held in Panama City, where topics related to the financing of energy projects will be discussed.
The second edition of the Gas and Energy Summit of the Americas will combine conferences on strategic topics with high-level government presentations, thematic debates on innovative content, as well as discussion panels for the collective construction of solutions, led by prominent figures from the regional and global energy sector, informed the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI).
A bill presented to the Legislative Assembly proposes to reform the Protocol that currently prevents private generators from commercializing electricity in the Central American market.
Since October 4, 2011, when the Costa Rican Assembly approved the Second Protocol to the Framework Treaty for the Central American Electricity Market, limitations were established on the participation of local generators in the regional market.
From January to June 2019, 52 environmental impact studies were presented to carry out works on electricity networks and build power generation plants in different areas of Central American countries.
The interactive platform "Construction in Central America", compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData, includes an up to date list of public and private construction projects for which environmental impact studies (EIA) were submitted to the respective institutions of each country.
Electricity generators claim that the Regional Operator Entity arbitrarily disconnects Guatemala from the rest of the countries in the region, and that since 2016 up to date the disconnections already add up to 600 hours.
The National Association of Generators of Guatemala (ANG) claims that the Regional Electricity Interconnection Commission (CRIE) does not comply with the resolutions of the Central American Court of Justice (CCJ), which ordered Guatemala to stop disconnections from the regional electricity system.
In Costa Rica, the state-owned electricity company ICE is evaluating the renegotiation of prices and conditions in power purchase contracts with private generation companies.
The adjustments planned by the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE) in contracts with private generators are based on the need to reduce costs and adapt prices and quantities purchased to current demand conditions and the availability of resources to generate energy.
In Central America and the Dominican Republic, the installed capacity of energy generation reaches nearly 20,000 MW, of which 62% correspond to clean sources.
Figures compiled by the Latin American Energy Organization (Olade) indicate that by 2017 the installed capacity of clean or renewable energy generators, including wind, hydro, solar and geothermal, exceeds non-renewable sources.
National Electric Energy Company of Honduras tenders at international level the supply of electrical energy and solid capacity of 17 MW.
Honduras Government Purchase LPI-031-2018:
"Announces the International Public Tender to contract 17MW of solid capacity and its associated energy in a block, for up to twelve (12) months. This is because of the operating condition of the eastern zone that is fed through a 150 km line at a voltage of 69 kV from the Santa Fe Substation in Tegucigalpa.
In the first nine months of 2018, 33 environmental impact studies were presented in the countries of the region to develop energy generating plants and work on electricity grids.
The interactive platform "Construction in Central America", compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData, includes an up to date list of public and private construction projects for which environmental impact studies (EIA) were submitted to the respective institutions of each country.
After spending $146 million over six years, Costa Rica's state-owned electricity company finally decided to cancel construction of the Diquis hydroelectric power plant in Puntarenas.
Authorities of the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE), informed that decided to cancel the hydroelectric project due to the fall in national energy consumption and because the country has sufficient installed electricity capacity to meet demand in coming years.
Lack of legal certainty, electricity theft and social conflicts are forcing businessmen in Guatemala's energy sector to choose to relocate their investments to El Salvador.
Last year, the companies Applied Energy Services (AES) and Corporación Multi Inversiones (CMI), both US and Guatemalan capital, decided to invest $47 million in solar energy projects, encouraged by the facilities offered to the energy sector in El Salvador.
The new Minister of Environment and Energy in Costa Rica is opposed to the Diquís project, which the state electricity company has been promoting for ten years, and which consists of building a hydroelectric generation plant in Puntarenas.
While the new leaders of the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity (ICE) announced their intention to refloat the project, which due to unconstitutionality appeals filed against it has remained on paper for years, the Ministry of Environment and Energy has declared its opposition, stating that "... there are no studies or other assessments on the social and economic impact that justify the declaration of national convenience given to the project a decade ago."
Last year, 87 environmental impact studies were submitted in the countries in the region, for the construction of power generation plants and works on electricity networks.
Panama is the country in the region where the largest investment is concentrated, with an approximate $1.29 billion in energy projects, corresponding to 32 environmental impact studies submitted to the Ministry of the Environment between January and December 2017.
The Congress of Costa Rica has finally approved a $500 million loan for the state electricity company to carry out electric generation and transmission works, including three geothermal plants.
Of the total amount of the loan with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved by the Legislative Assembly, close to $200 million will be used to finance the Pailas II, 50 MW, and Borinquen I, 55 MW geothermal projects, both in Liberia, Guanacaste.