Canales Wind Power, Guatemala

While hydro is the major source of power for Guatemala’s electricity grid, wind still makes up a tiny fraction of the total. Worldwide, renewables as a share of global energy supply have steadily hovered below 20% for the last 20 years. 

This project brings wind power to an area where no other electricity generation was taking place and where no local suppliers of wind turbines were available. Carbon finance supports the three basic wind farm elements: wind turbines, measuring stations, and an operations building. 

Clean wind energy displaces power generation from carbon-intensive technologies on the grid; therefore it contributes to the mitigation of climate change. Local workers hired during the construction and the operational phases also acquire important skills, supporting sustainable development in Guatemala.

The wind power project consists of installing sixteen wind turbine generators for a total capacity of over 55 MW. The site is expected to provide 135,000+ GWh per year to the Guatemalan National Interconnected System.

The project is located in Guatemala, in Los Llanos village of the municipality of Villa Canales, in an area considered appropriate for wind energy generation. The project is a Greenfield development, in an area where no other electricity generating plant has been previously sited.

In addition to delivering approximately 80,000 tonnes of emission reductions each year, the project delivers a number of other sustainable development benefits. These include:

• Affordable and Clean Energy: The project will generate electricity from a clean, inexpensive (i.e. zero marginal cost) source of energy as compared with thermal power plants that require expensive fossil fuels to operate.
• Decent Work and Economic Growth: Employment opportunities will increase, especially during the construction phase, but also in the longer term during the operational phase of the wind project.
• Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: Supports the development of quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all.
• Climate Action: This project reduces total greenhouse gas emissions per year by displacing fossil fuel powered electricity.