El Salvador is taking significant strides toward sustainable energy solutions as it seeks to replicate its biogas plant projects across the country. The ongoing biogas plant at the Acelhuate River, which will serve as a model, aims to benefit 21,000 families in the San Salvador Metropolitan Area. Daniel Álvarez, the General Director of Energy, Hydrocarbons, and Mines, recently announced plans to extend similar projects to the eastern and western regions of the country in the coming years.
“This is a hybrid project, and we see it as something we can implement in all major cities across El Salvador. We will begin with San Salvador, but our goal is to expand to both the western and eastern regions,” Álvarez stated at the Regional Symposium 2025 of the Regional Operating Entity (EOR).
The biogas plant, located between Ciudad Delgado and Cuscatancingo, in San Salvador Centro, is the first large-scale initiative aimed at cleaning the Urbina, Tomayate, Acelhuate, and Lempa rivers, significantly reducing contamination of three key reservoirs. The project boasts an impressive installed capacity of 5.6 megawatts (MW), combining biogas (1.70 MW), hydroelectric (0.54 MW), and photovoltaic (3.19 MW) technologies.
Funded by the Saudi Fund for Development (FSD), which has granted $83 million for the initiative, the biogas plant will treat 70% of wastewater in the San Salvador Metropolitan Area. The innovative technology will not only treat wastewater without consuming energy but also generate electricity. Over 85% of the electricity produced will be fed into the national grid, making it a vital contribution to the country’s renewable energy capacity.