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.

How much wind power does Salvador have?

Likewise, around 70% of Salvadorian territory has a potential wind power density (at 100 m high) of below 260 watts per square metre (W/m2) (IRENA, 2019). Few areas have shown high and relatively constant wind speeds.

What renewable resources are used in El Salvador?

The main renewable resources used in El Salvador for electricity generation are geothermal and hydropower. While variable renewable power is growing considerably, there is much more potential for these resources, either for electricity or direct uses.

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).

Does El Salvador have a hydroelectric power plant?

Hydropower continues to have the largest share of renewables in El Salvador’s electricity mix. 40 MW generating units begin commercial operation. This allows them to harness the surplus water that accompanies the rainy season. Meanwhile, the El Chaparral hydroelectric plant is under construction and will have an installed generation capacity of

Does El Salvador use geothermal energy?

Despite having a long tradition of geothermal energy use, mainly for power generation, El Salvador’s geothermal development has stagnated in recent years, with a limited number of new projects for geothermal power generation, or heating applications.