Nicaragua to Change
Energy Scheme
The government of
President Daniel Ortega
is taking firm steps to
change Nicaragua's
energy scheme to
overcome the chaos
inherited from 16 years
of neoliberal
administrations, an
official said.
In statements to Prensa
Latina, the chairman of
the National Energy
Company (ENEL), Ernesto
Martinez, said the
country has enough
reserves to deal with
power cuts due to
technical problems.
Thanks to the technical
cooperation provided by
Cuba and Venezuela
within the contest of
the Bolivarian
Alternative of the
Peoples of Our America
(ALBA), Nicaragua's
power network has
benefited from the
generation of 120
megawatts over the past
18 months, since the
Sandinista government
took office, he pointed
out.
The new facilities have
allowed us to get over
the legacy from
administrations that
only added 180 megawatts
generated from fuel oil
or bunker, he added.
The government's
strategy consists of
adding another 190
megawatts using oil
byproducts by 2009, so
the country's generation
potential will meet
immediate needs, and the
change of scheme will be
achieved without power
outages.
In December 2008, we
will have 40 megawatts
generated by eolian
energy in the isthmus of
Rivas, in southern
Nicaragua, he noted.
We will also carry out
three hydroelectric
projects that will
generate 57 megawatts as
of August and September
2011, in addition to
other joint projects
with Iran, Brazil and
Mexico, which will total
nearly 470 megawatts,
Martinez added.
Nicaragua has excellent
conditions for
geothermic generation
from volcanic energy, so
the country will be able
to export energy to
neighboring nations and
Mexico, he said. |
