The new Minister of Environment and Energy in Costa Rica is opposed to the Diquís project, which the state electricity company has been promoting for ten years, and which consists of building a hydroelectric generation plant in Puntarenas.
While the new leaders of the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity (ICE) announced their intention to refloat the project, which due to unconstitutionality appeals filed against it has remained on paper for years, the Ministry of Environment and Energy has declared its opposition, stating that "... there are no studies or other assessments on the social and economic impact that justify the declaration of national convenience given to the project a decade ago."
Last year, 87 environmental impact studies were submitted in the countries in the region, for the construction of power generation plants and works on electricity networks.
Panama is the country in the region where the largest investment is concentrated, with an approximate $1.29 billion in energy projects, corresponding to 32 environmental impact studies submitted to the Ministry of the Environment between January and December 2017.
Details of the ten most valuable construction projects in terms of investment, for which environmental impact studies were submitted in the last year.
Of the ten most valuable projects in terms of estimated investment submitted by environmental impact studies to Setena in the last year, four projects will be developed in the province of San José, with an estimated investment of $480 million.
In 2016 imports of electric motors and generators in Central America totaled $148 million, and purchases from the South American country grew 61% compared to 2015.
Figures from the information system on the Electric Motors and Generators Market in Central America, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with the graph"]
The amount that the state-owned electricity company plans to spend this year in the purchase of energy from private generators is 30% higher than in 2016.
The estimate of what needs to be allocated for purchasing energy from private generators in 2017 amounts to $243 million, and will be the highest amount spent so far by the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) in this area.
The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad is inviting bids for the service of rewinding three stators at the Angostura plant, located in Cartago.
Costa Rica Government Purchase 2016 LA-000024-PROV:
"La Angostura plant located in the province of Cartago, Canton of Turrialba, Pavones district has three generating units of 67.530 MVA each, with 16 years of service, which are emitting partial surface discharges in the stator winder especially in the core area causing high ozone concentrations above the permitted limits.
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)":
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.
On October 20th and 21st entrepreneurs from the region will gather together in Panama City to discuss issues such as the electricity market rules, new and renewable energy projects.
From a statement issued by the International Symposium on Energy:
This year the 8th. International Symposium on Energy seeks to promote spaces for reflection on energy issues, to help analyze the performance and limitations of developing new projects, build consensus, define the options for the energy market and, finally, develop a social impact using the media.
Gator Partners has obtained a provisional license to build in Bahia Las Minas, Panama, a power plant with a capacity of 400MW, based on ethane.
Gator Partners is planning to build and operate a power plant called "Térmica Energía Corotú" which will operate using ethane gas with a combined cycle plant with a capacity of 400MW.
The project sponsor, Gator Partners LataAm SA is a public limited company established in the Township of Panama City and was registered on November 11, 2014, with the Folio No. 155 585 316. The legal representative is a Panamanian, Oguel Alejandro Suero.
Actis and Mesoamerica have agreed to sell SunEdison 100% of its interest in Globeleq Mesoamerica Energy, which operates in the area of renewable energy plants.
From a statement issued by Globeleq Mesoamerica Energy:
Actis and Mesoamerica, investment and consultancy firms based in Costa Rica and Colombia have agreed to sell 100% of their combined interest in Globeleq Mesoamerica Energy (GME), a leader in the business of wind energy and solar energy in Central America, to SundEdison. SunEdison is the largest developer of renewable energy in the world.
Fees for interconnection to the distribution network for small-scale generators for self-consumption ranging from 8.48 C / kWh to 28.44 C / kWh.
From a statement issued by the ARESEP:
The Municipality Energy Regulatory Authority (Spanish initials:ASREP), approved on Friday the charges for access and interconnection to distribution networks, for small-scale generators to join the National Electricity System (Spanish initials: SNE).
A year after the declaration of moratorium and three months after the announcement that the regulation was ready to be signed, the Ministry of Environment has now decided to "clarify some issues."
While huge investments are paralyzed and municipalities are struggling to deal with garbage in the best way possible, the government of Costa Rica continues to delay the adoption of a regulation that would allow energy to be generated from solid waste.
The tariff proposal of the Public Services Authority for large-scale solar power generation establishes that plants of more than 1 MW can sell each Kw / h between $0.0751 and $0.1794.
From a statement issued by the Regulatory Authority for Public Services (ARESEP)
ARESEP proposes rates to promote solar generation
The Regulatory Authority for Public Services (ARESEP) has proposed a price band for new companies that produce electricity on a large scale using solar power (photovoltaic), up to 20 MW.
Even though surplus energy generated by agribusiness using biomass could be sold, the lack of a tariff scheme and the low price of 0.08 per KW / h, in the case of bagasse, is making the business unattractive.
Currently electricity generated from biomass does not have its own rate, therefore it is adjusted to the prices of new hydroelectric plants, ranging from $0.09 to $0.12 per KW / h.