From August 23 to 25, energy industry entrepreneurs will be meeting in San Salvador to discuss issues related to the development of renewable energies in Central America.
The event is being organized by the Salvadoran Industry Association (ASI) and will take place at the Sheraton Presidente Hotel in El Salvador.
Seven new companies received business licenses as heavy users of the wholesale market in March.
From a Bulletin by the Wholesale Market Authority:
In March commercial ratings were processed and finalized for Renewable Distributed Generators (GDRs by their initials in Spanish) with solar technology, for Granja Solar La Avellana, Granja Solar El Jobo, Granja Solar Pedro de Alvarado each with an installed capacity of 1,000 MW, and Granja Solar Taxisco with an installed capacity of 1,500 MW. Also enabled were the following GDRs with hydraulic technology: Proyecto Hidroeléctrio El Salto - Marinalá with 5,000 MW of installed capacity, Pequeña Hidroeléctrica Xolhuitz with 2,300 MW of installed capacity and Hidroeléctrica Carmen Amalia with 0.686 MW of capacity.
It is estimated that in 2025 an average 1 MW ground mounted solar energy system will have an average cost of 73 cents per watt, 36% less than the current cost.
Advances in technology and growing experience in the manufacture of solar energy systems are contributing to the gradual reduction of their cost, giving them an advantage over other sources of power generation, such as fossil fuel.
The signing of the FTA with China could open up opportunities for Korean companies to sell turbines to hydro electric stations and invest in energy projects which use other sources.
Kwang Seok Rhee, vice president of the Korean Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), one of the largest energy companies in South Korea, visited Guatemala as part of a new round of FTA negotiations and told Dca.gob.gt that ".
Commercial authorization was received in July by the Energy generators Caribe, S.A., whose installed capacity is 120 MW, Unidad Turbo Generador Condensing 4 (TGC-4) de Pantaleón S.A., with 50.55 MW.
From a Bulletin by the Wholesale Market Authority:
In July the following generators were commercially enabled: Energías del Caribe, S.A., with an installed capacity of 120 MW and Unidad Turbo Generador Condensing 4 (TGC-4) de Pantaleón S.A., with an installed capacity of 50.55 MW.
Insurance coverage, tax incentives and drilling costs shared between private businesses and governments are some of the proposals put forward for exploiting geothermal potential in Central America.
A global study by the World Bank analyzes the reasons why it has not been possible to take full advantage of geothermal energy in Latin America, highlighting countries such as Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Argentina and Chile, whose potential to generate energy through this renewable source has still not been fully exploited, mainly because of the high risks involved in geothermal projects in their early stages.
Of the 34,629 GWh generated in 2015 by the countries included in SICA, 68% came from hydropower, 11% from cogeneration in sugar mills, 11% was geothermal, 9% wind and 0.1% based on biogas.
From a report by Cepal entitled "Statistics of electricity production by countries in the Central American Integration System (SICA)":
Conflicts over land use and environmental legal actions have kept fourteen hydroelectric power generation projects paralyzed.
Of the fourteen hydroelectric projects on hold, according to the Association of Renewable Energy Generators (Ager), six were suspended for having been declared unconstitutional, two are in the "dialogue process", one is waiting for a ruling from the Constitutional Court and another " ...
The 380 MW natural gas plant to be built by AES in Panama promises to change the country's energy matrix, and the way energy is generated and distributed in Central America.
The economic flow that has already started with the construction of the gas plant in the province of Colon will be felt not only in the energy sector in Panama, which could become an energy generating and distribution hub in the region, but also in other productive sectors that will benefit from greater stability in energy costs and generate greater dynamism in logistics and shipping.
According to the CNEE the current available power will be able to supply the market for more than 15 years, even in a scenario with increasing demand, therefore it is not recommending new tenders in the short term.
The 'Conclusions' section of the document "Indicative Plans for Generation and Transmission 2016" by the National Electric Energy Commission (CNEE by its initials in Spanish) :
In the last two years the country which is the Latin American champion in wind energy lost $63 million a year from purchasing wind MWh at $70 and having to resell it at $7.
EDITORIAL
We are in agreement with the need to contribute to the sustainability of human development on this planet, and the need to transform the energy matrix of countries in order to become less dependent on oil, but the balance of the cost of this transformation needs to be adequate, in order to avoid making the kind of mistakes committed by the government of Uruguay.
Entrepreneurs are invited to take part in the sixth edition of ExpoEnergía, to be held from June 7 to 11 at the Convention Center in San Pedro Sula.
The Ministry of Energy, Natural Resources, Environment and Mining (My Environment) in Honduras is convening the sixth edition of ExpoEnergía, to be held from June 7 to 11 at the Convention Center in San Pedro Sula.
The Salvadoran Industry Association is convening the third Regional Energy Congress on 20, 21 and 22 of July at the Sheraton Hotel in San Salvador.
From a statement issued by the Salvadoran Association of Industrialists (ASI):
The Congress is a coordinated effort by multiple actors and aims to promote a space to raise the discussion of the topic of energy at the highest level and to publicize the latest developments in the Regional Electricity Market (MER), renewable energy and energy management.
In Costa Rica, companies are reporting savings on their electricity bill of up to 30% after having migrated to biomass as a fuel source, and they are demanding legislation that favors its use.
The orange juice producer Del Oro in Costa Rica, achieved savings of up to 28% through the use of a biomass boiler that was installed in 2010, compared to what it cost to maintain it using bunker fuel.
Regional Priority Supply Contracts with the MER have come into effect, and there has been an increase in renewable energy in the generating capacity due to the entry of photovoltaic and wind power.
A preliminary report by the Wholesale Market Administrator provides a summary of results of 2015, with details of the participation in the production and consumption of energy.