Mexico-Guatemala electricity initiative to be presented

The government, local authorities, and entrepreneurs of the Guatemalan electricity sector are proposing to Mexico the creation of an E lectric Power Market of Opportunities which would allow more electricity to be exported.

Édgar Humberto Navarro Castro

, President of the Wholesale Power Market Administrator ( Administrador del Mercado Mayorista abbreviated AMM ) in Guatemala, explained that the initiative is an extension of the electricity markets of both countries involving Guatemalan regulatory bodies such as the National Center for Energy Control ( Centro Nacional de Control de Energía abbreviated CENACE ) and AMM .

Currently, the exchange focuses on two 240 megawatt power import contracts as part of the Mexico-Guatemala interconnection project launched in 2010.

In an interview with EL UNIVERSAL , Edwin Escobar , President of the National Association of Municipalities of Guatemala ( Asociación Nacional de Municipalidades de la República de Guatemala abbreviated ANAM ) and Deputy President of the National Electrification Institute ( Instituto Nacional de Electrificación abbreviated INDE ), assured that it is possible to work together in the building of a second interconnection line to accelerate the electricity flow.

Edwin Escobar said that the scheme will be formally submitted to Mexico's Ministry of Energy ( Secretaría de Energía abbreviated Sener ) in January 2018 .

"In winter, we produce affordable energy in Guatemala with water systems, reaching USD$ 25 per megawatt , while Mexico produces energy reaching USD$ 45 per megawatt in the same season," he emphasized, adding that in the summer when Guatemala exchanges their hydroelectric system to biomass, “we import energy from Mexico, which is more affordable in that season.”

That is the sort of relationship that can be strengthened in a market of business opportunities, both Escobar and Navarro agreed.

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