El Salvador will host on September 30 the High-Level Meeting of the Global Geothermal Alliance, organized by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Government of El Salvador, through the Lempa River Hydroelectric Executive Commission (CEL).
Since the beginning of this week, several delegations from geothermal countries have arrived, including the United States, Mexico, Iceland, Italy, Kenya, Japan, Africa, and Pakistan, among other Central American countries, interested in knowing what our country is doing to transform the energy matrix and make a true transition towards renewable energies.
The Global Geothermal Alliance (GGA, for its acronym in English) is a space to strengthen dialogue, cooperation between countries and coordinate efforts to increase the participation of geothermal energy generation in the world. This year, the meeting of said entity will be held in our country, thanks to the leadership of the government of President Nayib Bukele.
«This is a unique opportunity to show not only geothermal countries but also the world what we are doing with our geothermal energy, which is our white gold. There are expansion plans that we have at the door to advance on this issue and ensure that El Salvador very soon depends less on hydrocarbons and is 100% renewable, in addition to allowing the country significant savings on the electricity bill,» said Daniel Álvarez, president of CEL.
Currently, geothermal energy in El Salvador represents 25% of the daily consumption of Salvadorans, a figure that positions us as a benchmark in the world. We have 2 geothermal plants: The Ahuachapán Geothermal Power Plant and the Berlin Geothermal Power Plant, which together generate 190 Megawatts.
The Ahuachapán Geothermal Plant has an installed capacity of 95 MW and has been in operation for 47 years, located 103 kilometers west of the country, in the department of Ahuachapán; while the Berlin Geothermal Power Plant, located 106 kilometers from the capital and with more than 22 years of productivity, supplies 13% of the energy consumed by El Salvador.
Source. El Salvador in English
