Of the 28 MW of renewable energy tendered in El Salvador, only 8.48 MW were awarded, because most of the participants exceeded the maximum price established by Siget.
On March 11, DELSUR held the opening ceremony of the tender process for the generation of 28 MW of photovoltaic energy and with biogas, of which 8.48 MW were awarded in projects representing a $10 million investment.
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.
Ventus S.A. de C.V., which will invest in the construction of the first wind farm in El Salvador, will enjoy tax exemptions in its investment plans and operation for 20 years.
The Guatemalan and Honduran capital company, Ventus, will invest $73 million over 10 years in the construction of a wind farm with a capacity of 54 MW, and the tax benefits that will be granted result from the signing of a Legal Stability contract for Investments.
On a 98-hectare site in the province of Chiriquí, InterEnergy launched a solar park with a generating capacity of 40 MW, which required a $48 million investment.
The new power generation park, called Ikakos, will transport the electricity produced to the Mata de Nance substation through a 13.7-kilometre-long transmission line.
According to company representatives, the new power plant located in David has 138,960 solar panels and will contribute 84.58 GW per hour to Panama's energy matrix.
Because of the behavior of the energy supply from renewable sources, between 2017 and 2018 electricity generation increased by 2%.
The latest report of the General Comptroller of Panama, details that in 2018 were generated 10,783 million kwh, which is equivalent to a 1.8% increase over the 10,597 million offered in 2017.
In El Salvador, 18 proposals were submitted for the tender of 28 MW of non-conventional renewable energy, of which 12 correspond to solar projects and 6 to biogas-based generation projects.
With no details of the participating companies, it was reported that the 18 technical and economic proposals were presented on December 19 in the morning to the DELSUR authorities.
The fourth phase of the Renace hydroelectric plant in the Alta Verapaz department, Guatemala, was completed, so it will be supplying 55 MW more to the national system.
In October 2015, phase four of the Renace hydroelectric project received definitive authorization for the use of public property, such as the Canlich and Cahabón rivers for 50 years.
During the first ten months of the year, 72% of the electricity was generated with hydraulic sources, 20% thermal, 5% wind, 2% solar and 1% self-generation.
According to the most recent figures of the General Comptroller's Office of Panama, 917 million kWh were generated in October 2018, which is equivalent to a decrease of 2.3% with respect to the 939 million offered in the same month of 2017.
In El Salvador, twelve renewable energy generation projects with a total capacity of 23 MW are preparing to start operations between 2018 and 2020.
The National Energy Council (CNE) reported that the dozen energy generation projects, which will begin operations in the period between 2018, 2019 and 2020, will have the capacity to supply electricity to 771.350 households in the 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.
Helium Energy Panama filed a lawsuit against Etesa for non-conformity with the result of a wind energy tender.
Helium Energy Panama, a wind energy generator, filed a lawsuit in the Third Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice against the state-owned Empresa de Transmision Electrica S.A. (Etesa) for more than $50 million.
The public purchase in question was published on September 11th, 2011, for which Etesa received tenders on November 8th of the same year. The companies that presented their proposals were Helium Energy Panama, Innovent Central America, Union Eolica Panameña and Fersa Panama.
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.
In El Salvador, at least 16 companies have registered as bidders in the tender for 28 MW of non-conventional renewable energy, for distributed solar generation and generation using biogas.
Without giving more details about the interested companies, it was reported that more than 16 investors have registered as bidders for technical and financial projects for alternative energy generation.
Due to social conflicts and various legal processes, 16 hydroelectric projects have been halted in Guatemala, which together amount to an investment of close to $1.5 billion.
The Association of Generators of Renewable Energy (Ager) reported that power generation projects have been suspended because of conflicts with communities in the zones, consultation processes with indigenous peoples, and orders issued by the Constitutional Court, many of which which have been in response to claims raised by environmental organizations.These projects, for which no light can yet be seen at the end of the tunnel, represent an installed capacity of 460 MW.
In the last ten years the use of renewable energy has doubled in the country, and currently sources of generation of this type represent between 65% and 70% of national consumption.
According to the authorities at the National Electricity Commission (CNEE), the stability that has been achieved in electricity rates and the lower dependence on oil derivatives, is due to the fact that the country is consuming more energy generated through renewable sources.