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.
The plant that AES El Salvador has inaugurated in La Union, required a $160 million investment, and has 44 thousand polycrystalline-type photovoltaic modules, in an area of 149 sqm.
Pasaquina is the first of ten solar power generation plants that AES El Salvador and Corporación Multi Inversiones plan to build in the three phases of the project. It is expected that the plants will start operations gradually over the next two years.
Neoen has started operating the Providencia Solar photovoltaic power plant, located in the department of La Paz, with an installed capacity of 101 MW.
The plant is made up of two subcenters: one of 76MWc, awarded to Neoen after a tender convened in El Salvador in 2014, and another of 25MWc, negotiated by mutual agreement with Del Sur, one of the main electricity distribution companies in the country.Both projects have been uploading electricity to the Salvadoran grid since April 1, 2017.
Contracts with the winning companies in the tender for 170 MW of energy, involving the construction of the first wind farm in the country and three solar plants, are estimated to be worth $340 million.
From a statement issued by the Ministry of Economy:
The Economy Minister Tharsis Solomon Lopez, presided over the signing of contracts which distribution companies in the country drew up for new power generation projects awarded as a result of the International Competitive Bidding.
It is estimated that in 2025 an average 1 MW ground mounted solar energy system will have an average cost of 73 cents per watt, 36% less than the current cost.
Advances in technology and growing experience in the manufacture of solar energy systems are contributing to the gradual reduction of their cost, giving them an advantage over other sources of power generation, such as fossil fuel.
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.
The intense media apparatus unleashed by solar panel producers should not make us avoid the necessary analysis of the real possibilities currently offered by this technology for homes.
In addition to the cost of purchasing and installing a solar panel, the climatic conditions of our tropical countries must be taken into account and the amount of energy this form of alternative energy produces during wet periods.
Contracts have been formalized with the four companies awarded the supply of 94 MW for a period of 20 years.
From a statement issued by the Ministry of Economy of El Salvador:
For the first time in El Salvador there has been a significant advance in the inclusion of large-scale renewable energy projects, with the addition of ith 4 clean energy projects to the national energy matrix and which will gradually reduce dependence on petroleum and lower energy prices.
The growth of electricity demand and favorable prices ranging from between 20 and 40 cents per kilowatt hour have been highlighted as most noteworthy.
It is expected that the solar market will add 700 megawatts of new capacity in 2014, representing 2 percent of world demand in the solar market until 2018. This rate requires developers to move with speed in order to enter new countries.
There are now twenty companies, both Salvadoran and from other countries that have purchased bidding rules for the supply of energy.
About 20 companies have acquired the bidding rules for the supply of 100 MW of power to be contracted out with two technologies of generation; they are 60 MW using photovoltaic systems and 40 MW using wind power.
Luis Reyes, executive secretary of the National Energy Council (CNE) said that "there are companies from different countries, including Spanish, Italian, German and Salvadoran. Companies are very interested in this tender . We have received a lot of inquiries from companies."
The tender conditions are available for prequalification for the installation of a photovoltaic plant of 14.2 MWp.
From an article published by The Executive Hydroelectric Commission of the Lempa River:
The Executive Hydroelectric Commission of the Lempa River reported that the conditions for prequalification for the project for the installation of a photovoltaic generation plant with an estimated capacity of 14.2 megawatts peak (MWp) in the vicinity of "Central Hidroeléctrica 15 de Septiembre ", will be available until March 7, 2013.
The Executive Hydroelectric Committee of the Rio Lempa is planning to put out to tender a concession for a 42 MW wind farm and 14.2 MW solar energy plant.
Because of the lack new sites suitable for the installation of large hydroelectric dams in El Salvador, alternative sources are being considered so as to diversify the country's energy mix, said a spokesman for the Executive Hydroelectric Committee of Rio Lempa (CEL) Ramon Moreno.
Bidding for the installation of solar panels at the Cerron Grande and 15 de Setiembre dams will take place in February.
Luis Garcia, manager of the renewable energy department of the Executive Hydroelectric Commission of Río Lempa (CEL), said that with the installation of the panels on the two hydroelectric power plants approximately 0.5 MW will be generated. He added that this will be the starting point for developing solar energy projects.
The photovoltaic electricity generation project developed by CEL confirms the great potential for solar energy production in the country.
The project being developed by El Salvador's Lempa River Hydroelectric Executive Commission (known as CEL in Spanish) will evaluate different kinds of photovoltaic energy for future investments in the country.
La Prensagrafica.com reports comments from César Villalta, head of the Central American José Simeón Cañas University (UCA in Spanish): "The preliminary results of the project, which will be refined over time, suggest that generators placed on CEL's roof terrace a year ago are able to generate more energy than the best placed solar panels in Spain".