Site map: Home » Geothermal in the World » Interactive Map » Caribbean » El Salvador
Site Map
LOG IN
user: password:
Not an IGA Member? Register here »

Welcome to our page with data for El Salvador

ELECTRICITY GENERATION

Installed geothermal generating capacity (December 2009) in MW
 
Ahuachapan 95.0
Berlin 109.4
Total
204.4


There are two major geothermal fields in this country: Ahuachapán and Berlín, for a total capacity of about 200 MW, producing 25% of the electricity needs of the country. Both the fields are operated by LaGeo, in partnership with Enel Green Power. The increase from 2005 was of 53 MW (35% in capacity, 47% in energy), for the two new units at Berlin of 44 MW flash and 9 MW binary.

In the Ahuachapán area (temperature of 250°C) two 30 MW single flash and one 35 MW double flash are currently online (1975-1981); due to the reservoir decline, only 84 MW net units are currently in operation. A project for reaching the full capacity loading of the units (Ahuachapán optimization) is under study. In 2006 the reinjection reached the target of 100% of the exploited fluid. It is under consideration also the possibility of repowering unit 2, adding 5 MW to the total capacity of the field.

In Berlín (where 300°C have been recorded) two 28 MW single flash units have been installed before 2005 (1992- 1999); two major additions have been placed online up to today: a bottoming cycle binary unit for 9.4 MW (on line in 2008) and a single flash 44 MW units (commissioned in 2006), built by Enel Green Power under a shareholder agreement with LaGeo. In 2003 it has been drilled the most productive well of the Latin America, with a production of 20-30 MW from the steam cap at about 1,000 m depth. A new unit for additional 28 MW is planned. In the Chinameca area feasibility studies for a 50 MW units are on going (a single well at 1,900 m reached temperature around 240°C).

The total installed capacity of the country is foreseen about 290 MW.
 

Taken from Ruggero Bertani’s paper, " Geothermal Power Generation in the World 2005–2010 Update Report ", published in Proceedings of the World Geothermal Congress 2010, Bali, Indonesia, 25-29 April 2010

DIRECT USES
 

The country update report (Herrera et al., 2010), the authors make no mention of geothermal direct-use. However, a recent visit to the country by one of the authors (Lund) revealed that there were some limited development of greenhouse heating, fish farms and fruit drying. During a tour of the Berlin geothermal field, samples of dried pineapples, apples, bananas, coconuts, etc. were made available as " Procesco de deshidratado Natural Geotermico" and called "Geo Fruit or Funda-Geo" which are processed in Berlin for local consumption.

A minimum value of 0.5 MWt and 10 TJ/yr is assumed for each of greenhouse heating and fish farming, and 1.0 MWt and 20 TJ/yr for agricultural drying, for a total of 2.0 MWt and 40 TJ/y.

Taken from the paper by John W. Lund, Derek H. Freeston, and Tonya L. Boyd: "Direct Utilization of Geothermal Energy 2010 Worldwide Review"; published in Proceedings of the World Geothermal Congress 2010, Bali, Indonesia, 25-29 April 2010