The Guatemalan Ministry of Energy and Mines decided to revoke the license it had granted in early 2020 to the Rocja Pontilá hydroelectric project, in Coban, Alta Verapaz.
On November 4th, Guatemala City will host a regional summit on energy investments in Central America.
From A statement issued by the Government of Guatemala:
The minister Erick Archila has announced that Guatemala will host a summit on energy investment in the countries of the Mesoamerican region which will take place on November 4, convened by the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM).
With the recently awarded contracts and tenders in process, it is estimated that by 2017 the energy matrix will grow by 52%, with hydropower accounting for 41.3%.
Prensalibre.com reports that "...With the contracts awarded, which are for 15 years, the installed power generation capacity will go from 2,519 megawatts (MW) recorded last May to three 3,836 MW. "
A total of 32 new hydroelectric projects are being developed in different stages in the country with a capacity to generate 1,128 MW.
Although Guatemala has hydro potential for generating 5000 MW, so far only 18% is being utlised, through the 20 hydroelectric stations currently operating which have the capacity to generate 937.50 MW.
" ... According to an inventory of the projects in the possession of the Ministry of Energy and Mines, last updated on 18 February and which includes projects of over 5 MW, eight projects are under construction with a capacity of 369.97 MW. In addition, 19 projects have been approved but have not yet started construction, having capacity of 648.85 MW, and five more are pending permits and process with capacity for 109.33 MW . "
The Ministry of Energy and Mines has given approval for the hydroelectric station Raaxhá in Alta Verapaz, with capacity to generate 10 MW for a period of 50 years.
"The awardee the contract, Hidroeléctrica Raaxhá, will install the plant in the municipalities of Chisec and Coban, Alta Verapaz, and will have a capacity to generate 10MW," reported Elperiodico.com.gt.
More than 45 power plants which are being built with an investment of more than $1.1 million face social, technical and financing problems.
Prensalibre.com reports: "The works are part of the tenders in the Generation Expansion Plan made in 2010 and 2012 for long-term contracts, which seek to ensure the supply of energy for Empresa Eléctrica de Guatemala (EEGSA) and Energuate ... ".
With a generating capacity of 75 MW, the Xacbal Delta hydro station will be built upstream of the existing Hydro station Xacbal.
By Ministerial Agreement 321-2012, the Ministry of Energy and Mines has authorized the company Energía Limpia de Guatemala, the use for 50 years of Xacbal River water for the construction of a hydroelectric power plant with a capacity of 75 megawatts.
The financial potential of cooperatives in Guatemala will revolve around the development of renewable energy projects.
The groups belonging to the Guatemalan Confederation of Cooperative Associations, RL (Confecoop), have projects, funding and implementation programs for the construction of small hydroelectric plants, whose owners are cooperatives.
"We have made the final adjustments to the investment plan and contributions to the main supply, and we hope to present the project in June," said Rodolfo Orozco, executive director of Confecoop to Prensalibre.com. However, Orozco did not say how many mini plants will be built.
The government has reversed its decision to convene a new tender for 590 MW within a month, and will instead respect the minimum period of six months provided for by regulation.
The government would prefer to advance the bidding for projects totaling 590 MW of electricity in the course of just a month, but has stepped back and will follow established procedures allowing six months for the award of a contract as established in the General Regulations on Electricity (RGE in Spanish).
The National Energy Commission (CNEE) has issued new tenders for energy supply, which will take place in April.
Of the 53 bids received in the last tender for 800MW, 35 were out of price range, quoting in excess of $ 0.1175 per kilowatt hour.
"There was some controversy over the fact that suppliers who use coal and gas were not able to stay within the price range when factoring in the cost of transportation and import, which left them at a disadvantage," reads an article on Prensalibre.com.
By 2026, the country will generate 78% of its energy from renewable sources.
The changes proposed to the Generation System Expansion Plan 2012-2026 have already been approved by the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM).
In 2012, it is is expected to generate 50.5% from hydroelectric sources, 3.6% from geothermal sources, 3.5% from bunker fuel, 12% from biomass, 9% from the electrical interconnection with Mexico and 21.3% from coal.
Since 2008, the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) has authorized the generation of 833MW of electricity.
Of the projects authorized to generate the 833 MW, 478 MW correspond to hydroelectric plants, 330 MW to thermal energy and 25MW to geothermal sources.
Juan Fernando Pérez, MEM Energy Director, told Prensalibre.com that, "some generators, totalling 343 MW, have already begun operating and it is forecast that in the next few years further hydroelectric, coal and geothermal plants will come one line providing an additional 642 MW, with total investment worth $1.3 billion".
Only 14% of the hydropower generation potential of the country is operating.
Although Guatemala could be generating 10.000 megawatts of hydroelectric power, it only uses six thousand because the rest of the generation capacity is not being exploited.
This was stated by Juan Fernando Perez, director of Energy, from the Ministry of Energy and Mines, at the framework of the conference "Small hydro-power and sustainable development in Central America", held in Guatemala City.
Since 2003, the Incentives for Renewable Energy Projects Law offers fiscal and economic incentives.
The regulation gives fiscal incentives to companies working on renewable energy projects such as: solar, Aeolian, geothermal, hydro energy among others.
Oscar Chile Monroy writes about some of the incentives in his article at Prensalibre.com "... Taxes exemption on the Imports, tax exemption on the Value Added Tax (VAT) on the imported equipment to be used to produce energy, exemption on Sales Tax and on Solidarity Tax also, all them for a 10 years period.