CentAm roundup: Gas-to-energy link, distributed generation, grid boost

The dispatch component of Generadora de Gatún’s 670MW Gatún natural gas project in Panama is due to come online in June and not September.

The company made the observation as part of public services regulator Asep’s consultation for state power transmission company Etesa’s proposed 2023-27 plan for the national interconnected system (PESIN).

The 230kV 16.3km line will run from the Telfers substation to the Sabanitas substation.

Generadora de Gatún was the only stakeholder to submit a comment, information from the watchdog shows.

Distributed generation

Costa Rica’s public services regulator Aresep has proposed changes to the distributed generation methodology and a technical norm to further promote solar energy.

“This proposed modification to the methodology allows the network availability costs to be resized and maintain homogeneous treatment between subscribers with and without distributed energy resources, while allowing distribution companies to recover income from capacity requirements,” according to Aresep.

A public hearing is scheduled June 10 and information is available here.

Grid boost

Honduras’ state power company Enee put into operation 20MW of capacity at the Juticalpa II substation in Olancho department as part of efforts to address the country’s energy crisis.

Maximum demand in the first four months of the year was 1,905MW, which was recorded in April, compared with 1,820MW and 1,789MW for all of 2023 and 2022, respectively, according to the national dispatch center (CND).