The Central American Business Council organised in association with the British Embassies in El Salvador and Guatemala a clean energy sector trade mission to El Salvador and Guatemala to offer UK companies the chance to explore the many opportunities in clean energy in these important Central American markets.

The mission provided companies with meetings and networking opportunities with key government decision makers and business partners as well as one-to-one meetings and field visits, allowing companies new to market as well as those already in-market to meet new contacts, build existing relationships and discover the latest opportunities and projects for trade and investment.

Guatemala, the most populous country in Central America with over 14 million people, has a growing energy demand and enjoys considerable renewable resources, which to date have not been fully taken advantage of. It has 5,000MW of hydroelectric power potential and 1,000MW potential geothermal energy. Wind, solar and biomass generation projects have been targeted as sustainable means to reduce the country’s dependence on hydrocarbons.

According to a study undertaken by the National Energy Council (CNE), the electricity demand in El Salvador is expected to increase at an average rate of 4.7% per year towards 2026. Energy is being generated from hydropower and geothermal sources but there are also opportunities in biomass, wind and solar energy.