SICA Council of Energy Ministers approved Regional Energy Pacts and learned about Electromobility and storage initiatives for the region

This SICA release was published using machine translation.

With the objective of learning about the five regional energy pacts, as well as discussing electromobility and energy storage initiatives through batteries and other types of technologies, the 17th Ordinary Meeting of the Council of Energy Ministers (CME) was held. of SICA, under the leadership of the Pro Tempore Presidency (PPT) exercised by the Republic of Honduras.

In the work agenda developed, the European Union (EU) through the Ambassador of the European Union in El Salvador and before SICA, François Roudié and the Head of Unit for Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and regional cooperation of the EU, Felice Zaccheo presented to the energy ministers their interest in accompanying the strengthening of the Regional Electricity Market (MER).

In this sense, the European Union could contribute with direct financing of up to 1.1 billion euros invested over a period of five (05) years, through the financial instruments of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and within the framework of its Global Gateway investment agenda that the EU promotes with a Team Europe approach, coordinating the action of the European Commission, the European External Action Service (EEAS), EU Member States, as well as financial institutions and the private sector .

It is important to note that in order to meet Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7: “Affordable and Clean Energy”, the CME approved the 5 regional energy pacts: 1) Universal access to electricity, 2) Reduction in the use of firewood , 3) Promotion of renewable energies for the generation of electricity, 4) Support and strengthening of renewable energies and 5) Improvement of energy efficiency through the Central American Technical Regulations (RTCA) these will be presented soon to the United Nations Energy SEforALL explained the energy specialist of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Débora Ley.

During this space, new storage technologies were learned, in this sense, the PPT of the Republic of Honduras, through the General Director of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (DGEREE), Adriana Álvarez made a presentation on the Promotion of Systems of Energy Storage (BESS), in SICA countries, a technology that provides a response to the flexibility of electrical systems for the management of demand and generation.

Along with the presentation of the BESS, the Council of Energy Ministers instructed the Energy Coordination Unit of the SG-SICA (UCE/SG SICA) to develop a programmatic instrument for the promotion of Electric Mobility and its Action Sheet. Route, within the framework of the Sustainable Energy Strategy 2030 of the SICA Countries (EES-SICA 2030) that allows accelerating the transition towards low-carbon transportation in the SICA member countries by 2040.

Likewise, the Diagnosis of the current situation of geothermal energy in the region of the SICA member countries was presented, prepared by the Geoscience Technical Group with the support of the Federal Institute of Geosciences and Natural Resources of Germany (BGR). The study showed that there are many opportunities to harness geothermal resources for direct use, development and research.

At the end of the meeting, the Republic of Honduras transferred the Pro Tempore Presidency of the Council of Energy Ministers of SICA to the Republic of Nicaragua; to whom the delegations expressed their commitment to continue supporting the initiatives that are promoted during the July-December 2024 fiscal year.

The 17th Ordinary Meeting of the Council of Energy Ministers (CME) of SICA was held under the leadership of the Secretary of State in the Energy Office of the Republic of Honduras and representative of the Pro Tempore Presidency, Erick Tejada Carbajal; the Undersecretary in the Energy Office of Honduras, Tomás Rodríguez; the Undersecretary of State for Foreign Policy of the Republic of Honduras of the Pro Tempore Presidency of SICA, Gerardo Torres.

Likewise, it had the participation of the Director of Energy of the Ministry of Public Utilities, Energy, Logistics and Electronic Government of Belize, Ryan Cobb, the Minister of Energy and Mines of Guatemala, Víctor Hugo Ventura; the Director of Energy of the General Directorate of Energy, Hydrocarbons and Mines of El Salvador (DGEHM), Juan Carlos Guevara; the Director of the Electricity Market of the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) of Nicaragua, Santiago Bermúdez; the Environment and Energy Advisor of the Ministry of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica (MINAE), Pablo Bermúdez Vives; the National Secretary of Energy (SNE) of Panama, Rosilena Lindo; the Vice Minister of Energy and Mines (MEM) of the Dominican Republic, Rafael Gómez Del Giudice and the Executive Director of the SG-SICA, Ingrid Figueroa.