The President of the Transmission Company of El Salvador (ETESAL), Edwin Nuñez, announced that the Surf City electrical substation in Tamanique is set for inauguration this July. This infrastructure represents a strategic $23 million investment designed to stabilize and enhance the power supply along the rapidly developing coastal corridor of La Libertad and La Paz.

The project utilizes advanced Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) technology, which offers a more compact and efficient system compared to traditional models while requiring significantly less maintenance. We are working so that in July we can inaugurate one of the most important substations for the tourism sector, which is the Surf City substation, Nuñez stated during a recent interview.

Equipped with a 50-megawatt transformer, the facility will receive 115,000 volts from Talnique and convert them to 23,000 volts for local distribution. This upgrade is specifically engineered to benefit approximately 16,000 users, providing the necessary voltage stability for both residential homes and the growing number of commercial businesses in the region.

The timing of the project is critical, as energy demand in the Surf City I area surged by 25% over the past year. This growth is driven by the international popularity of destinations like El Tunco and El Zonte. This will serve energy to all of La Libertad and of course, it will reinforce the coastal zone of La Paz, Nuñez added regarding the expanded reach of the grid.

Currently, ETESAL manages a national network of 1,400 kilometers of transmission lines and 28 operational substations. This latest addition reinforces El Salvador’s commitment to providing world-class utility infrastructure to support its booming tourism industry and the 1.5 million users connected to the national grid.