El Salvador currently holds 11.5% of Latin America’s installed geothermal energy capacity, a renewable resource derived from Earth’s heat. Among the seven Latin American countries generating power from geothermal wells, El Salvador ranks third in installed capacity, with 204.4 megawatts (MW). This capacity is managed by LaGeo, a subsidiary of the Comisión Ejecutiva Hidroeléctrica del Río Lempa (CEL).

According to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Latin America’s total geothermal capacity reached 1,772.3 MW in 2022, with Mexico leading at 976 MW (55% of the regional total) and Costa Rica following at 262.66 MW (14.8%).

El Salvador was a pioneer in geothermal energy, initiating geological, geochemical, and geophysical studies in 1962. The Ahuachapán plant began operations in 1975, with the Berlin plant in Usulután added in 1992. Ahuachapán now has a capacity of 95 MW, while Berlin reaches 110 MW. Additionally, regulatory data shows that El Salvador’s three geothermal plants contribute 209.4 MW, representing 6.8% of the nation’s total installed capacity of over 3,040 MW.

The latest expansion project was announced in February 2023, when CEL confirmed that British-Panamanian consortium InterEnergy would construct two new geothermal wells, in Chinameca (20 MW) and San Vicente (10 MW). This marks the first sector investment since the early 2000s, when Italian firm Enel upgraded the Berlin plant. Expected to be completed within 24 months, this project highlights El Salvador’s ongoing commitment to renewable energy innovation.

In 2021, CEL allocated 1.5 MW of Berlin’s capacity for a pilot bitcoin mining project, showcasing El Salvador’s exploration of innovative uses for geothermal energy.