What is El Salvador's energy sector like?

El Salvador 's energy sector is largerly focused on renewables. El Salvador is the largest producer of geothermal energy in Central America. Except for hydroelectric generation, which is almost totally owned and operated by the public company CEL (Comisión Hidroeléctrica del Río Lempa), the rest of the generation capacity is in private hands.

How much electricity does El Salvador produce?

El Salvador has three biomass plants which produce about 109.5 MW of electricity. Central El Salvador receives high levels of solar radiation that are conducive to solar generation. Most of the country’s installed solar panels are in government buildings, schools, manufacturing plants, and universities.

Does El Salvador have a capacity to conduct renewable projects?

El Salvador has the national, political will to conduct renewable projects, as evidenced by the numerous incentives provided, the dire climate risks in the country, and their regional partnerships. While the institutional capacity is still catching up, to say they don’t have any capacity would be false.

What are the major sources of energy in El Salvador?

For energy purposes, volcanoes provide major sources for geothermal power. El Salvador also contains 307 kilometers of Pacific Ocean coastline, four main lakes: Coatepeque, Ilopango, Suchitlan, and Guija, and approximately 350 rivers.

What is the largest PV system in El Salvador?

The capacity of the largest PV system is 99 MW, with a total electricity generation of 489.6 MW. There are four hydroelectric dams located in El Salvador, all along the aforementioned Rio Lempa. These plants are operated by the Río Lempa Hydroelectricity Board (CEL).

Which countries are connected to El Salvador's electricity grid?

El Salvador’s grid is interconnected with six regional neighbors – Belize, Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua – through the Central American Electrical Interconnection System (SIEPAC).