LATIN AMERICA AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

               RENEWABLE ENERGY FOR OUR FUTURE                     

           
 

 

America and the World

 We have focused very strongly in line with our Mission and Vision as an Educational and Informative Platform as a means of dissemination to prepare and motivate Latin America for the change that has been taking place in the areas of Intelligent Networks, Renewable Energy and associated technology. 

AMRtechnologies Inc.® is an Distributor/exporters of alternative energy company,  We have design capabilities, completely dedicated to solar and electrical energy system, component sales, installation, and services, all thru United StatesCentral America.

Solar Systems: Solar energy encompasses a variety of functional applications:

  1. Stand-alone Off-Grid systems.
  2. Grid tied systems.
  3. Grid-tie systems with battery back-up.
  4. Solar Off-Grid water heaters systems.
  5. Solar Off-Grid Air Conditioner systems.
  6. Solar Wind Turbine system.
  7. Solar Off-Grid Telecommunications systems.
  8. Solar industrial crop drying, up to 30% more efficient than traditional drying methods.
  9. Electrical Distribution systems.

COSTA RICA

 

GUATEMALA

                                                            

PANAMA

    

 EL SALVADOR

 

                                                 

  HONDURAS

 

NICARAGUA

                                                 
                                                                
                                                               BELIZE

 

What’s the Future of Solar Development in Latin America?

2020 will set records for solar demand in Latin America, led by growth in Brazil, Mexico and Chile.

Despite coronavirus-related setbacks, 2020 will be one of the biggest years for solar demand in Latin America. The period 2020-2025 will see utility-scale solar grow in many countries in the region, led by Mexico, Brazil and Chile, with distributed solar expanding most rapidly in Brazil.

But despite falling system costs, growth in the region will be fairly constrained, particularly in Mexico, where bottlenecks are slowing the pace of renewable energy development. Developers in the region will also face increased competitiveness in the market due to lower system costs and reduced power prices.

 THE LARGEST SOLAR POWER PLANT IN CENTRAL AMERICA

The Horus Energy PV plant, the largest photovoltaic plant in Central America and the Caribbean, has launched its second phase with the aim of reaching a total output of 88 MW. A total of 160 million dollars have been invested in the PV plant, which is located in Chiquimulilla in Guatemala’s south-western department of Santa Rosa. This innovative facility boasts 300,000 solar panels covering 275 hectares.

Horus Energy is an innovative renewable energy project located in Chiquimulilla, in the southeastern region of Guatemala. It will produce about 115 GWh of clean energy per year and is a reference for the country which in the frame of the Generation System Expansion Plan 2012-2026 aims to achieve 78% of demand be met through by renewable sources.

The Largest Solar Park in Costa Rica Is Being Built in San Carlos

COOPELESCA RL has been working hard in recent years to diversify its current energy matrix with renewable sources, generate 100% of the electricity consumed by its associates and, another one of the bets to reach the goal in the medium term is  solar energy. The Cooperative is currently building the Cooperativa Solar Park, in Buenos Aires de Pocosol de San Carlos, 4.5 kilometers south of Santa Rosa center and is being installed on a plot of 11.2 hectares. This project consists of 19,000 solar panels, which makes it the largest photovoltaic solar power generation park in Costa Rica. It will produce 5 Megawatts and in the dry season, when the water resource decreases, it will guarantee the quality and continuity of the electric service. “In the dry season we have less availability of water, so for us it is of great value to venture into new generation projects with renewable sources to guarantee electrical service to our Associates and thus, continue reducing the purchase of electricity to ICE.

Agua Fria solar power in Honduras

Situated in the municipality of Nacaome in the Valle Department of Honduras, the Agua Fria plant is located in a very favourable region with high sun exposure. Agua Fria is the first solar power plant constructed by Scatec Solar in Latin America.

Qualities

To date, electricity generated from fossil fuels has been the only option for companies in Central America. Like the neighbouring countries, Honduras is heavily dependent on diesel power but aims to make renewable energy sources predominant in the energy mix. For the first time, it is now possible to buy electricity from renewable energy sources in Central America

Impact

The Agua Fria PV plant started electricity production in the summer of 2015. The 60 MW solar plant was built in partnership with a local project developer, PEMSA, with the support from Norfund and KLP. In all Scatec Solar’s construction projects Scatec employs local skilled and unskilled labour, provides workers with certification of technical skills as well as experience in construction and industry operations. A 20-year power purchase agreement has been signed with the National Electricity Company (ENEE). Honduras is part of the Central American Electrical Interconnected System (SIEPAC) and is connected to El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Belize and Mexico by 269 km of transmission lines

Solar + storage inaugurated in El Salvador

The solar PV plus storage facility, Capella Solar, has been officially opened providing electricity and power reserve to El Salvador’s grid.

The Capella Solar operation located in the Usulután department in El Salvador’s southeast – about 100km to the southeast of the capital San Salvador – is noteworthy for several reasons. The 140MW solar PV operation comprised of the Albireo 1 and Albireo 2 plants is the country’s largest. With 20-year power purchase agreements with the local distributors AES, Delsur, Edesal and B&D concluded in 2017 at an average price of $49.55/MWh, the facility supplies the cheapest energy into the Salvadorian market.

And the 3.2MW/2.2MWh lithium-ion Albireo Power Reserve battery storage, which provides frequency regulation support to the grid, is the largest system of its type to date in Central America.

The Albireo solar park is part of the $1.3 billion in investment in renewable energy that has been completed in the past 16 months and is a clear example of the confidence of national and international companies to invest in our El Salvador.

“This type of project generates employment, development and social well being for Salvadorian families.”

The facility was developed by the French renewable power producer Neoen at a cost of more than $133 million with funding from the Inter-American Development Bank and the Dutch and French Development Banks (FMO, PROPARCO).

The project, Neoen’s second in El Salvador, consolidates the company’s presence as a long term investor in the Central American country, according to a statement.

The Capella Solar project shows how competitive solar energy can be integrated with storage for the benefit of industry and consumers. Committed to continue investing for the development of El Salvador.

Capella Solar provides approximately 4% of the supply to El Salvador’s wholesale market. Together with the 101MW Providencia Solar project in La Paz department in the south of El Salvador which started operations in 2017, Neoen supplies 7% of the energy to the market.

AES completes first phase of 100 MW solar park in El Salvador

The 10 MW El Carmen solar plant built by AES El Salvador.

The $160 million Bosforo project is being backed by the US Overseas Private Investment Corporation. Guatemalan agroindustrial group CMI and AES El Salvador – the Salvadoran unit of U.S. power distributor AES Corporation – have announced the completion of the first, 30 MW phase of the 100 MW Bosforo solar project, coinciding with the start of commercial operations at the El Carmen solar plant. The first phase of the project – Bosphorus I – has been carried out thanks to an investment of $48 million and the installation of approximately 132,000 polycrystalline modules, AES said in a press release.

The 10 MW El Carmen plant joins the Pasaquina and La Union projects of the same size, inaugurated in May and July, respectively.

During the second phase of the project, three more 10 MW plants will be built – two in the western part of the country and one in the department of Usulután. In Bosphorus III – the final stage of the project – three more plants, totaling 40 MW, will be built in the central zone of El Salvador.

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Part of the financing comes from the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). The project consists of 10 solar power plants with a capacity of 10 MW each, to be located in low income rural areas where many residents depend on remittances from abroad and illiteracy is common, AES said in its initial announcement.

Finnfund – the Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation Ltd, a finance company that provides long-term venture capital for private projects in developing countries – announced  a $15 million loan for the project in January.

 Renewable energy use in El Salvador has increased dramatically during the last decade

Over the last ten years, El Salvador has halved its use of fossil fuels for power generation

In 2010, fossil fuels accounted for 40.4% of the country’s total electric power generation.  Ten years later, however, El Salvador continues to progress in its efforts to become less and less dependent upon this natural resource. 

According to data provided by the country’s power transmission company, Empresa Transmisora de El Salvador, the use of fossil fuels accounted for 19.43% of yearly power generation at the end of 2019.  This drop in the use of oil and other fossil fuels from the 2010 figure has occurred because renewable energy use in El Salvador has dramatically increased throughout the course of the last decade.

Geothermal power leads the way

In addition to generating energy using sources such as biomass (from bagasse which is the residue left after extracting juice from sugar cane), El Salvador has successfully integrated the use of solar and geothermal energy into its power generation mix.  It is notable that, today, geothermal power represents 25% of El Salvador’s total electricity production.   This figure makes the country one of the top ten geothermal power producing nations in the world. Greater renewable energy use in El Salvador has translated into better rates for consumers.  Ten years ago, before geothermal energy was highly developed, the average monthly price per megawatt-hour (MWh) in El Salvador was $139.17.  Now that the use of oil has been significantly reduced for power generation, the cost of a megawatt-hour of energy stood at $81.31 at the end of 2019.  It is anticipated that this price will be reduced further when the   Pacific Energy National gas plant at the Port of Acajutla becomes operational in 2021.

During the most recent Energy Congress, organized by the Salvadoran Association of Industrialists, entrepreneurs and industry representatives stressed the importance of reducing the country’s reliance on petroleum to generate energy.  Greater use of renewable energy in El Salvador would lessen the country’s exposure to risks related to the fluctuating price of a barrel of oil. In recent years, El Salvador has taken concrete measures to diversify the sources of its energy production.  Biomass, for example, accounted for 5.95% of total generation at the end of 2019.  In order to have sufficient sugar cane available to provide raw material to create this source of power, investments in three new mills were made in the country in recent years. In addition to biomass, solar power generation in El Salvador has also increased.  Over the last half a decade, more than five    significant sized solar projects have been completed, and, as a result, 3.30% of the country’s total energy production now has its origin in this source. Hydropower is another means by which the country has been powered.  Hydro plants have produced a 28.8% share of renewable power output in El Salvador, while, as mentioned earlier, geothermal energy now represents a 25% share of the country’s energy production.

More renewable energy in El Salvador

A report that was recently produced by the National Energy Council (CND) of El Salvador has determined that the price of traditional sources of electric power will continue on an upward trend during the next decade.  As a result, the organization recommends that the country continue to work towards the greater diversification of its energy base. Although the Pacific Energy natural gas plant that will soon begin operations at the   Port of Acajutla will utilize a fossil fuel, Salvadoran policymakers note that in addition to being advantageous from a price perspective, natural gas burns clean. In an effort to further fuel the nation’s pursuit of greater renewable energy use in El Salvador, members of the Salvadoran Association of Industrialists have banded together to create a Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency to work on increasing the potential of renewable energy projects.  This will result in the further reduction of the use of oil and the greater use of alternative sources of electric power.

"Largest Wind Farm in Central America in Panama"

 The largest wind farm in Central America, located 150 kilometers east of the capital, will be inaugurated today after concluding its third phase, which completes a generating capacity of 270 megawatts (MW) of clean energy. Panama has taken a big step forward with this $570 million project.  Panama’s rapid growth is coupled with increased power demands.  In a small country like Panama, one large wind farm can provide an impressive percentage of total energy needs.   But, with Panama’s sizzling economy, it is estimated that $3 billion more will be spent in Panama on energy generation projects over the next 10 years.

Until the potential blessing of fusion power is realized, clean energy sources like this one will become increasingly critical world-wide.  With hydro becoming a politically charged subject in Panama, expect to see more wind and other projects like this one in the future. After the investment of 570 million dollars, 108 wind turbines were installed, which produce between six and seven percent of the country’s electricity demand, the equivalent to the consumption of about 100,000 families, according the newspaper La Estrella. The Wind Farm Penonomé, in the central province of Coclé, includes a fourth phase that will raise its potential to 337 MW and responds to the nation’s policy to increase the use of renewable energies like wind and solar, to limit the dependence on hydro and thermal, the source said.

The use of wind for these purposes will be extended, and for 2016 Panama could have 400 MW of installed potential, which would cover almost a quarter of the needs of the nation, authorities declared. Experts say that wind turbines require an investment of about 1.5 million dollars per MW, half the cost in hydropower plants.

The Panamanian wind farm could be placed this Tuesday in 13th place in the world for its potential, preceded by another ten in the United States, one in Britain and one in Belgium, according to the German digital site All Rankings. The greatest investor of the Penonomé wind farm is InterEnergy Holdings, a transnational dedicated to clean energies in Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Chile and Panama. The introduction of wind energy will allow Panama to avoid the emission of approximately 450,000 tons of carbon into the environment and it will mitigate the emission of another thousands of nitrogen oxide and 500 of sulfur dioxide, assured the Panama Wind Union, the consortium operating the facility.The country’s energy matrix depends highly on thermal plants, highly polluting, and the hydroelectric plants, that besides the damage to the environment by its installation, work in an unstable way in dry periods.

Panama is one of the fastest growing economies in Latin America, but fell behind in infrastructure to increase the generation and transmission of energy. The Panamanian government estimates that the country’s demand will grow at a rate of eight percent each year, which requires an investment of around three billion dollars in the next decade to meet the needs. In late 2014, the global capacity of energy produced by wind turbines increased to 370 gigawatts, the five per cent of electricity consumption, and Denmark set the pace in this regard when covered a quarter of its demand and 21 percent in the case of Spain.”

 

Geothermal underdeveloped in Central America

Less than one-fifth of the geothermal potential in Central America has been developed, a new study has found.

Central America, with more than 1,300 sources of thermal water and 75 volcanos, has an economic geothermal potential estimated at between 3-5GW. However, of this just 650MW of capacity has been developed, providing around 8% of the region’s electricity needs, while a further 7MW provides thermal energy.

The new study from the Central American Integration System (SICA) is part of an initiative to advance the development of geothermal energy and its application in direct uses such as electricity and industry. The use of geothermal energy in the region could satisfy 70% of its energy needs, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on fossil fuels, SICA says. In addition, it would create new business, research development opportunities and jobs in the region.

As such, SICA believes that Central America could become a global leader in geothermal energy development for direct use exploitation.

Priority areas that are being investigated in the ongoing project include the adaptation of regulatory frameworks for the direct use of geothermal energy in the region and the development of demonstration projects to enable investment decisions in plants and facilities. The development of methodological tools for the management of geothermal projects are another area of focus.

The study reinforces an earlier investigation from the Inter-American Development Bank, which found that geothermal is underdeveloped throughout Latin America and Caribbean with approximately 1.8GW developed out of an up to 70GW estimated potential.

The project is being run by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented through the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) with collaboration support from the International Geothermal Association, IRENA and World Bank among other organisations.

The SICA member countries are Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panamá and the Dominican Republic.

 

AMRtechnologies Inc. Solar & Electrical Systems
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