AES and Corporación Multi Inversiones inaugurated a 10 megawatt solar power plant in Guazapa, El Salvador.
The plant was inaugurated on 29 October and forms part of the Bosphorus project, which consists of the commissioning of 10 power generation parks of 10 MW each.
Banco Cuscatlán approved a $10 million loan for the construction of part of the Ventus wind farm, which will have a capacity of 54 MW and will be in the municipality of Metapán.
The state-owned company LaGeo plans to invest in its geothermal fields in Chinameca and San Vicente to increase its generation capacity to an additional 80 megawatts.
In order to finance the works, the public company LaGeo, a subsidiary of the Lempa River Hydroelectric Executive Commission (CEL Group), is negotiating a $232 million loan with the World Bank.
In the first three months of 2019, 14 environmental impact studies were presented in the countries of the region to perform work on electricity grids and develop power generation plants.
The interactive platform "Construction in Central America", compiled by the Trade Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData, includes an up to date list of public and private construction projects for which environmental impact studies (EIA) were submitted to the respective institutions of each country.
Banco Agromercantil de Guatemala announced a $43 million loan for the construction of part of the 54 MW Ventus wind farm to be located in the municipality of Metapán.
During 2018, 39 environmental impact studies were presented in the countries of the region to build energy generating plants and work on electricity grids, projects estimated at $455 million.
The interactive platform "Construction in Central America", compiled by the Trade Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData, includes an up to date list of public and private construction projects for which environmental impact studies (EIA) were submitted to the respective institutions of each country.
The U.S. government approved up to $350 million to finance part of the construction of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) power generation plant EDP in Acajutla, El Salvador.
The U.S. government, through the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), approved the financing on March 20, 2019, according to the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador.
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.
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.
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, Energía del Pacifico has announced that it has met the requirements to obtain financing, and that it will start construction of the plant in the third quarter of the year.
From June 5 to 9, companies from the energy industry will be gathering together in San Pedro Sula to take part in business conferences and discuss issues that are relevant to the sector.
The initiative is being run by state entities and the private sector, and will take place between June 5 and 9 at the Convention Center of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Cortés (CCIC) in San Pedro Sula.
In 2016, the average cost of 1 kWh in Central America was 13.48 cents, while in Costa Rica, it was 18.47 cents.
A report from the CEPAL indicates that in 2016, the average cost of one kilowatt hour (kWh) in Central America was 13.48 cents, while in Costa Rica it was 18.47 cents; 37% more for industrial consumption of 100,000 kWh.In El Salvador and Guatemala, it was 11.03 and 11.54 cents respectively. In Panama, 10.92 cents.
In El Salvador industrialists state that capacity to generate energy is not lacking, what is needed is investment to improve capacity of the transmission lines.
In the opinion of the Salvadoran Association of Industrialists, the expansion proposal presented by the Salvadorian Transmission Company (Etesal) is fundamental in order to be able to upload the energy that will be generated from new projects, such as thesolar power plant that is planned for construction in Usulutánor thenatural gas plantthat Energía del Pacífico plans to build in Acajutla.