El Salvador inaugurates Berlin binary geothermal power plant
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CEL has formally inaugurated the 7.5 MW Berlin binary cycle geothermal power plant in Usulutan, El Salvador whic uses waste heat from the existing power plant.
The Lempa River Hydroelectric Executive Commission (Comisión Ejecutiva Hidroeléctrica del Río Lempa / CEL) has officially inaugurated the 7.5-MW Berlin binary cycle geothermal power plant at the Berlin Geothermal Field in Usulutan, El Salvador. The plant utilizes waste heat from the main geothermal power plant, which was previously lost, and converts this into electricity.
Representing an investment of $37 million, plans for a binary geothermal power plant at the Berlin field were first announced back in 2019 with the award of the power plant supply contract to Turboden. The next major update came earlier this year, with the announcement that testing had already begun.
According to the official statement from CEL, LAGEO now accounts for 20% of the country’s energy generation. LAGEO is the subsidiary of CEL that operates the geothermal power plants of Berlin and Ahuachapan. Moreover, CEL indicates that the start of operations of the Berlin binary power plant has increased the installed capacity of LAGEO to 204.4. MW.
Earlier this year, a $150 million loan was approved from The World Bank (and later supported by a sovereign guarantee) for a new 25-MW geothermal development at the Chinameca site. This is only one of the measures that will help sustain the leadership position of El Salvador in the Central American geothermal sector. The Government of El Salvador had also enacted a new Geothermal Energy Law that aims to encourage more private participation in geothermal investment and development.
Source: CEL via Facebook
