The geological conditions of El Salvador allow a high potential for energy generation through its geothermal resources.
Thanks to these conditions, and to a series of efforts initiated by the government, President Nayib Bukele, and the professional team of LAGEO, the country obtains more than a quarter of its electrical energy through geothermal sources, through its two plants located in Ahuachapán and Berlin, which, together, allow it to have an installed capacity of 204.4 megawatts (MW).
This year, LAGEO, one of the most important institutions in the region in the field, is holding the fifth edition of the Geothermal Diploma for Latin America, with the participation of 30 students from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Dominican Republic and El Salvador.
The president of LAGEO, Mynor Gil, indicated that El Salvador, through this diploma, seeks to be able to share its experiences and knowledge acquired through its history of geothermal development, in order to achieve joint progress in the Latin American region.
“We seek to contribute to the strengthening of the human resources of the institutions responsible for the development of geothermal energy in Latin America, support rational development, increase the contribution of renewables in harmony with the environment and encourage the participation of women in the geothermal sector. Gil stated.
The course, which will last 20 weeks, will have 11 modules, through which topics such as: general concepts, geology, geochemistry, geophysics, integrated conceptual model, drilling, geothermal plants, among others, will be taught.
LAGEO has the support of the GRÓ Geothermal Training Program, under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), financial support from the Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs and academic support from the University of El Salvador (UES), thanks to the new cooperation agreement signed in May 2019, between LAGEO and UNESCO – GRÓ GTP.
Likewise, the design of the study plan and content definition have been prepared by LAGEO specialists, with decades of experience in geothermal energy and with the valuable contribution of specialist teachers from Iceland and the UES.
On the other hand, LAGEO reported that they are committed to promoting gender equity. In this scenario, they have more than 40% of students representing the female sector.