During 2018, electricity purchases totaled $167 million, 58% more than in 2017, and its main supplier was Guatemala, representing close to 81% of total sales.
Data from the Central Reserve Bank (BCR) indicate that between 2017 and 2018, energy imports went from $105 million to $167 million, the latest being the highest amount reported in the last twenty years.
Central American countries do not take advantage of the electric transmission line that connects them, because the poor infrastructure at the local level prevents the exchange of energy at the maximum level.
Managers of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) believe that the lack of electrical installations, especially in the stations of each country, are an obstacle to achieve a reduction in final tariffs to consumers.
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 energyprojects, corresponding to 32 environmental impact studies submitted to the Ministry of the Environment between January and December 2017.
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.
The proportion of energy generated from renewable sources increased from 27% of the total energy generated in the country in 2006, to 53% in 2016.
An annual report by the Nicaraguan Institute of Energy (INE) states that net generation in 2016 at the national level increased by 11.4%, going from 4,220.91 GWh in 2015 to 4,700.7 GWh in 2016.The plants that generate clean energy contributed 52.8% of this energy and the remaining 47% was supplied by plants that use fossil fuels.
Seven new companies received business licenses as heavy users of the wholesale market in March.
From a Bulletin by the Wholesale Market Authority:
In March commercial ratings were processed and finalized for Renewable Distributed Generators (GDRs by their initials in Spanish) with solar technology, for Granja Solar La Avellana, Granja Solar El Jobo, Granja Solar Pedro de Alvarado each with an installed capacity of 1,000 MW, and Granja Solar Taxisco with an installed capacity of 1,500 MW. Also enabled were the following GDRs with hydraulic technology: Proyecto Hidroeléctrio El Salto - Marinalá with 5,000 MW of installed capacity, Pequeña Hidroeléctrica Xolhuitz with 2,300 MW of installed capacity and Hidroeléctrica Carmen Amalia with 0.686 MW of capacity.
A Congress of the Guna indigenous people will reconsider whether to allow the execution of the works needed to complete the grid to connect the isthmus with South America.
The State of the Region indicates that the asymmetries between the most regulated markets such as Costa Rica and others that are freer such as Guatemala and El Salvador constitute an obstacle to progress of the regional market.
Regional Integration section, the V Report on the State of the Region:
After several delays, the natural gas power plant Energía del Caribe located in Monterrey will start to supply Eegsa and Energuate the 120 MW agreed in the contract awarded in 2012.
Transmission lines in the regional SIEPAC system are being used to distribute electricity internally in countries, curtailing their capacity for international exchange of energy.
When the US President Barack Obama visited Central America in 2013, he warned that "energy costs in this region are three times what electricity costs in Washington, and that represents a huge disadvantage for companies".Two years before that, all countries, from Guatemala to Panama, were committed to creating the necessary infrastructure for the Regional Electricity Market (MER) to be efficient.
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:
Beyond the apparent financial difficulties of an indispensable regional development project, there appears to be an immovable mental stance on removing the Darien Gap.
The electrical interconnection between South and Central America and Mexico, through Colombia and Panama, is the basis for a viable system for an electricity supply which is safe from weather contingencies or other constraints on generation.
"Of the 4,115 GWh imported from Guatemala to Panama, more than 80% could have been obtained from the accumulated water on Lake Arenal in Costa Rica".
The lack of more and better transmission lines between Costa Rica and Panama prevents the sale of the surplus energy which it is foreseen will be generated in Costa Rica once operations start of the new generation plants Chucas, Torito, Capulin, Reventazón, Bijagua, Orosi and expansion of La Joya.
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