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Renewable Energy Roadmap for Central America: Towards a Regional Energy Transition

Core Content

IRENA has developed a Renewable Energy Roadmap for Central America, aimed at guiding the region's transition to a sustainable and cleaner energy system. The report outlines a comprehensive strategy for decarbonisation, focusing on both the power and end-use sectors, and provides insights into investment opportunities, technological pathways, and the benefits of regional integration.

Main Goals and Objectives

The report's primary objective is to support the development of a regional energy transition by identifying feasible strategies for renewable energy deployment, energy efficiency improvements, and the integration of regional power systems. It emphasizes the importance of aligning energy policy with climate goals and national commitments to achieve a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable energy system.

Key Findings

• Renewable Energy Potential: Central America has a significant potential for renewable energy, with an estimated total of 180 GW available.
• Decarbonisation Strategy: A decarbonisation strategy (DES) can achieve similar energy system costs as the current planning strategy (PES), while significantly reducing emissions.
• Emissions Reduction: Under the DES, CO₂ emissions from the power and end-use sectors are expected to decrease by 72% compared to the PES by 2050.
• Renewable Share Increase: The share of renewable energy in the power sector is projected to rise from 67% in 2018 to 91% by 2050, with 45% being variable renewable energy (solar and wind).
• Energy Efficiency: Energy efficiency measures, with cumulative investments of around USD 8.7 billion, could reduce energy intensity by 43% by 2050.
• Transport Electrification: Electrification of the transport sector, along with the use of biofuels, is crucial to reducing transport-related emissions. In the DES, the share of electric vehicles in the transport fleet is expected to be around 75% by 2050.
• Clean Cooking Technologies: The use of improved and electric cookstoves needs to increase 8.6 times by 2050 to achieve universal access to clean cooking technologies.
• Hydrogen as a Solution: Green hydrogen offers an alternative for decarbonising heavy transport and international shipping, with potential for large-scale deployment in the region.
• Regional Integration: Enhancing regional power system integration is essential to exploit renewable potential, reduce costs, and improve system flexibility. Increasing interconnection capacity to 2 GW could help scale up renewable power generation.

Investment and Costs

• Investment Needs: To achieve the DES targets, annual investments of USD 3.5 billion in new renewable generation capacity and grids are required, corresponding to 1.6% of the region's GDP in 2018.
• Cost Reduction: The installation of 59 GW of renewable energy could reduce power system costs by 7% per unit of electricity delivered between 2018 and 2050.
• Technology Costs: The report includes a detailed analysis of end-use sector technology costs and fossil fuel prices, providing a basis for investment planning and policy-making.

Regional Cooperation and Support

• Stakeholder Engagement: The report highlights strong engagement with Central American countries and regional institutions, including SICA, OLADE, ECLAC, and IDB.
• Collaborative Efforts: Regional collaboration is vital for infrastructure development, grid expansion, and the implementation of energy transition strategies. It enables more efficient and cost-effective planning and execution of energy projects.

Key Recommendations

• Expand Renewable Capacity: Increase renewable energy capacity from 67% in 2018 to nearly 90% by 2050 through a threefold increase in annual deployment.
• Invest in Grid Infrastructure: Expand and reinforce national transmission and distribution grids to support growing electricity demand and the integration of renewable energy sources.
• Promote Energy Efficiency: Implement energy efficiency measures across all sectors to reduce energy intensity by 43% by 2050.
• Electrify Transport and Cooking: Prioritize electrification of the transport sector and the adoption of clean cooking technologies to reduce emissions and improve energy access.
• Support Green Hydrogen: Develop green hydrogen as a clean energy solution for heavy transport and international shipping.
• Foster Regional Integration: Strengthen regional power system integration to enhance system flexibility, reduce costs, and improve energy security.

Conclusion

IRENA's Renewable Energy Roadmap for Central America provides a strategic framework for transitioning to a sustainable energy system. It underscores the importance of regional cooperation, technological innovation, and investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency to achieve climate goals, enhance energy security, and support socio-economic recovery.