Between the period from March to May 2020 and the same period in 2021, electricity consumption increased by 5%, a rise that can be attributed to the increase in exports and tourism activity.
Wednesday, June 9, 2021
Data from the National Energy Control Center (Cence) highlights that for the periods under analysis, consumption at the national level went from 2,780 to 2,906 Gigawatt hours (GWh), which is equivalent to an increase of 126 GWh.
The increase in energy demand is in line with the increase in exports of precision and medical equipment, agricultural products and food industry goods.
Factors such as the progress of the vaccination campaign could further increase power consumption levels. Mario Alvarado, executive director of the Costa Rican Association of Energy Producers (Acope), told Nacion.com that "... there will be more energy consumption as the vaccination of inhabitants between 18 and 58 years old with and without risk factors progresses, as the bulk of the economically active population is in that age range."
For Erick Rojas, general manager of Consorcio Nacional de Empresas de Electrificacion de Costa Rica R.L., "... the more people vaccinated and the fewer restrictions, the more energy use will grow as the demand for goods and services recovers. The restriction measures affect the demand for electricity and the economy. I'm not just talking about the people in the house, there were also layoffs and reductions in working hours and the whole economy suffered. However, when restrictions are loosened more people move and that fuels consumption'."
This upward behavior in electricity consumption also goes hand in hand with the increase in foreign tourist arrivals, since in the first four months of 2021, 296 thousand visitors already arrived in the country, a figure that represents a third of the figure reported for the whole of 2020.
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Although between 2017 and 2018 the average spending of tourists in Costa Rica fell 14%, businessmen estimate that the country has the capacity to absorb more demand.
Figures from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) specify that in the last two years the average expenditure made by tourists who arrive in the country decreased by $226, going from $1,561 in 2017 to $1,335 in 2018, and the stay per person remains around 12 nights.
Guatemala exported $10 million worth of electricity to the neighboring country in the first seven months, significantly more than the one million dollars reported in 2017.
Sergio Recinos, Banco de Guatemala president, said to Dca.gob.gt that "... With regard to this activity, greater dynamism is expected in electricity generation associated with the expected increase in external demand from Mexico and the restructuring of the energy matrix'.”
Although so far this year exports have fallen by 8%, the industrial sector increased its electricity consumption by 4%.
"The larger amount of generation (and consumption) of electricity may indicate that economic activity remains strong despite the slowdown in the export sector," said Ovidio Reyes, manager of the Central Bank of Nicaragua.
Between January and May, energy demand increased 6.2% when compared to the same period of 2009.
In the first five months of the year, the country consumed 3.314 gig watts hour (GWh), more than the 3.120 GWh from the same period of 2009.
Horacio Fernández, head of the National Energy Generator’s Association (ANG), told Sigloxxi.com that “from a statistical and historic perspective, there has been a strong relation between economic growth and increases in energy consumption. This is why the country needs to invest more in energy”.
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