Regasification, a long shot for Guatemala

Investment in regasification ports in Guatemala is unlikely, due to the country's current coal and biomass-fired power generation park.

So reads the energy and mines ministry's (MEM) 2018-32 power generation and transmission expansion plan.

"El Salvador or Panama have invested or plan to invest in regasification plants to supply power plants, however, their energy matrix allows them to recover the investment," according to the roadmap.

Nevertheless, the plan sees development of natural gas deposits in Guatemala as an "interesting option" for the national energy matrix, highlighting a drop in production technologies.

The possible development of a pipeline that would supply gas to Guatemala from Mexico also would curb investment in more expensive regasification infrastructure.

Of the 21 candidate plants in the ministry plan, which total 712MW and estimated investment of US$1.65bn, two are natural gas-fired while the bulk would come from hydro, geothermal and biomass/coal.

TRANSMISSION

On the dispatch front, the approximate cost to carry out recommended works totals US$205mn.

The plan proposes 710km of lines and the construction/overhaul of 26 substations, which authorities estimate will save US$20.4mn in transmission losses and prevent the release of 154,457t of CO2.

Flagship projects include Los Brillantes-Madre Tierra and Panaluya-La Entrada, which would improve connectivity with Mexico and regional grids, respectively.

DEMAND

The 180-page plan is available here

The following power projects from Guatemala are being tracked in the BNamericas Project Profiles Database: