Latin America highlights continued development progress at recent GEA event

The GEA International Showcase in Washington, DC on May 22^nd served as a wonderful platform for emerging market countries to market their progress. One of the regions whose progress stood out the most at the event was Latin America. Various manufacturers and policymakers spoke about overcoming significant and unique challenges with their current portfolio of projects.

Roger Henneberger of GeothermEx gave a “travel journal” style presentation of GeothermEx’s experience through Central America and South America. After a country-by-country overview, he spoke of GeothermEx’s ambitions to maintain and expand current projects in Mexico and Central America, as well as to “help bring geothermal to South America.”

Richard Chow, CEO and President of ThermaSource discussed the daily operating challenges that ThermaSource deals with in Chile, including challenging terrain and a harsh climate. Yet, ThermaSource is implementing best practices in a market teeming with potential.

Dr. Warren Dewhurst of Dewhurst Group discussed concerns such as remoteness of the drilling terrain at the Neridas Valley site in Colombia. He also spoke about juggling the threat of active volcanos, narco-terrorism,  and challenging rain and landslides. He credited the successful public-private partnership with Empresas Publicas de Medellin, brokered through the US Trade & Development Agency (USTDA) as a key to making operations a success in Colombia.

Ram Power’s CEO Schuman Moore took some time to speak about Ram Power’s operations in Nicaragua, a country which received a strong dose of attention at the showcase. Moore focused particularly on the successful San Jancinto site, which is about to enter Phase 2. He also discussed Ram Power’s plans in Casita and Western Sector as well as the SEIPAC 300 MW export pipeline in Nicaragua which connects Guatemala with Northern Panama.