New power capacity on tap in El Salvador as demand jumps 10%

El Salvador’s state power company CEL has begun testing the 3 de Febrero hydroelectric plant in San Miguel department, the government reported.

The 66MW project - formerly known as El Chaparral - will boost the contribution from this energy source which led output in 2021, accounting for 32% of the 5,367GWh that were generated, according to metrics from the national energy council (CNE).

Hydro was followed by geothermal 27%, bunker 16%, biomass 11.6%, solar 10.5%, wind 2.46% and diesel 0.03%.

Last year, the Central American nation’s first wind farm came online: the 54MW Ventus complex in Metapán.

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The government also reported that production from the country’s first natural gas-fired power plant is expected in May: Energía del Pacífico’s 378MW Sonsonate LNG-to-power project.

The planned additions come amid a 10% increase in electricity demand in January-November to 5,982GWh, of which nearly 20% was covered by imports, data from power market administrator Unidad de Transacciones shows.

Also read El Salvador to look at renewable energy’s grid impact

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