For the third time the deadline to deliver the project to build 866 kilometers of lines under Energy Transportation System Expansion Plan in Guatemala has been postponed, this time until 2020.
The extension now granted by the Ministry of Energy and Mines is for three years and two months starting from September, when the work was due to start operating completely, under the responsibility of Transportadora de Energía de Centroamérica SA (Trecsa).
For the third time, the contractor in charge of the Transmission Expansion Plan in Guatemala, will not meet the deadline to finalize the works.
The amount of progress on the Electric Expansion Plan (PET), whose contract was awarded to the Colombian company Trecsa more than seven years ago, is only 66%.The project was supposed to have been be ready and in operation since 2013, but the company contracted asked the governments in office at the time for two extensions - in 2013 and 2015.
Completion of construction of the Transmission Expansion Plan 1-2009 is still delayed, awaiting a decision from the government on how to resolve the problem of the passage of a 230 Kv line through the Dulce River in Izabal.
Following problems related to buying rights of way, which delayed the project awarded to the company Trecsa, difficulties have now arisen related to the passage of a transmission line through one of the tourist attraction areas in Izabal. The company in charge of the project says it has presented different alternatives, such as creating an underwater connection and an underground one, but the government dismissed these because of the additional costs involved.
Of a potential of 1,000 MW of power generated through wind in the country, 101 MW will start to be generated from three wind projects which will start operations in May 2015.
The three projects referred to are those of the companies Viento Blanco which will generate 21 MW, Tresca, with 30MW, and the most advanced, Eólico San Antonio del Sitio, with 52.8 MW, which already has 90% of the necessary infrastructure for it to operate.
With the operation of four new substations it is expected that by January 2015 the electricity service will cover 90% of the country.
From a statement issued by the Government of Guatemala:
President Otto Perez Molina has ratified his support for investors in order to achieve the goal of full coverage of electricity services nationwide. On a working visit to the town of San Agustin, in the Department of El Progreso on Friday, the president led the opening ceremony of four substations in the Expansion Plan of the Transmission System Energy (PET).