Aluminium energy storage El Salvador

Who owns El Salvador's electricity?

CEL is an independent, public electric utility in charge of developing, conserving, managing, and using the energy resources of El Salvador. Clean energy is generated in four hydropower plants located at diferent points in the Lempa River basin. ETESAL is El Salvador’s transmission system owner.

What is the energy supply in El Salvador?

In 2019, total energy supply in El Salvador reached around 156 600 TJ (see Figure 5). That year, the renewable energy source with the largest share as part of the primary energy supply was bioenergy (19.6%), followed by hydropower (3.5%), geothermal energy (3.4%), and solar energy (1.1%) (CNE, 2020).

What are thermal power plants used for in El Salvador?

Thermal power plants are at present used as a back-up for variable renewable energy (VRE) generation. Thermal electricity production in El Salvador is, however, sometimes costlier than importing electricity within the regional market, as will be presented in the section below.

What is El Salvador's Energy Cabinet?

The Energy Cabinet is composed by the Presidential Commissioner for Operations and Government Cabinet, MINEC, CNE, CEL, SIGET and the DC. Until the 1990s, El Salvador maintained a vertically integrated structure in its power sector, with CEL as the country’s only state-owned generator.

Why is El Salvador a big importer of electricity?

El Salvador currently imports about one-quarter of the country’s total electricity, making it the largest importer of electricity in Central America. Government officials have said the heavy reliance on imported power creates energy security risks, along with providing an economic challenge.

How much electricity is produced in El Salvador?

The institution currently has a total installed capacity of 204.4 MW and a net production equivalent to 21.8% of the electrical energy produced in El Salvador. CECSA, a CEL subsidiary, is a company dedicated to the generation of electrical energy through small hydropower plants.