Ecobreves – HONDURAS: Sugar Producers Expand Generation of Clean Energy

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

TEGUCIGALPA, Dec 5 2011 (IPS) - Sugar producers in Honduras will invest over 35 million dollars to generate up to 300 MW of electricity from sugar cane bagasse. The country’s six sugar refineries already produce 126 MW of renewable energy, but the potential capacity of electricity generation from sugar cane is around 300 MW, Carlos Melara, director of the Association of Sugar Producers, told Tierramérica.

Of these 126 MW, 100 MW are sold to the state-owned national electric power company at a price of seven cents of a dollar per kilowatt. With the 25 million dollars in investment in 2012, "we plan to begin a gradual expansion over the next three years," said Melara.

The electricity supply in Honduras is still dependent on thermal power.