Regional Workshop on renewable energy roadmap and flexibility assessment for Central America

Under the Clean Energy Corridor for Central America (CECCA), IRENA has been requested to develop a regional Renewable Energy Roadmap (REmap) study for Central America, complemented with a power system flexibility study with IRENA’s FlexTool.

The regional REmap study will investigate the technology options that enable an energy transition at the regional level, through the accelerated development of renewable energy in the energy mix. REmap will explore the solutions, costs and benefits of deploying renewable energy sources for energy generation and also for the consumption sectors, i.e. transport, industry and buildings.

Besides this, a regional FlexTool model will be developed providing a planning approach to boost system flexibility and identify cost-effective solutions to achieve high shares of variable renewables. As this analysis will be performed in the context of CECCA, one of the key outputs will be an assessment of the value of interconnection and market integration in the region, as enablers for renewable energy deployment.

As part of the process to develop the REmap and FlexTool studies, few consultation and validation workshops will be conducted in the region.

This first regional workshop for REmap and FlexTool Central America, organised together with the National Energy Secretariat (SNE) from Panama, will provide the opportunity to harmonise the awareness of the relevant existing work in the region carried out by regional and multilateral institutions. Furthermore, countries will present an overview of their energy systems, policy priorities and strategies. The workshop will provide IRENA the chance to showcase the details of REmap and FlexTool methodologies and processes and guide a discussion on the status, opportunities and challenges of renewable energy development in the different energy sectors.