The Patuca lll Hydroelectric Power Plant has reached its minimum operating level and has ceased power generation

This Enee release was published using machine translation.

The National Electric Energy Company, to the general population, communicates the following:

Due to the strong heat waves and the prolonged drought that affects the region, the normal operation of the National Interconnected System is altered. The Patuca III Hydroelectric Plant has reached the minimum operating level and energy generation has ceased. Small run-of-river hydroelectric plants have stopped injecting around 200 MW into the grid. In addition, 99% of wind generation has been down and there is more than 150 MW of unavailability of thermal generation due to damage to the generation units. The overload of transformers and incidence of low voltage nationwide, and especially in the Sula Valley, has proliferated due to the high temperatures that prevail especially in the northern part of the country.

The ENEE, with its Contingency Plan, added 192 MW of new generation to the National Interconnected System and 150 MVA of energy transformation. The expansion of 11 substations and construction of 4 new ones, the renovation of the Francisco Morazán, Cañaveral and Río Lindo hydroelectric plants, the awarding of 20 power transformers to expand 20 substations and investment in the repowering of 14 distribution circuits thanks to the savings generated by the transfer of operational functions from EEH to ENEE, represent an important advance in historically postponed investments in the electricity subsector. The regional attacks of the current powerful climate phenomenon have wreaked havoc never seen before on regional electrical systems and on the observed pollution levels.

We regret the discrediting statements of those actors who seek the privatization of Latin American public companies and who have used a regional and technical problem to motivate their political attacks, placing their private interest above the public interest, as is happening with the Costa Rican Electricity Institute and the Federal Electricity Commission of Mexico.

In Costa Rica, the first constant rains have already been reported in the last 4 days, which have allowed the supply of electricity in this country to be stabilized. Likewise, the Secretariat of Risk and Contingency Management (COPECO) has informed us that the first rain showers are expected in the coming days of May and, depending on the weather behavior, we will be permanently informing the population about the situation of the national electrical system. In addition, this week additional energy is entering the System: 10 MW in La Ceiba, 5 MW in Danlí and another additional 5 MW is expected to be completed in Juticalpa in the coming days.

We urge the population to make rational and efficient use of electrical energy while conditions improve. Likewise, we ask for understanding in the moments of greatest stress of the National Interconnected System.