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Millennium Workshop in El Salvador

9 February 2007
The “Workshop for Decision Makers on Geothermal Projects in Central America” was held in San Salvador 26 November to 2 December 2006. It was co-hosted by UNU-GTP and LaGeo S.A de C.V. in El Salvador. The fifty participants came mainly from the four countries of Central America active in geothermal development, i.e. Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua. Geothermal power stations provide about 12% of the total electricity generation of the four countries. Only a small portion of the geothermal resources in the region has been harnessed.
The aim of the workshop was to give high level decision makers from the respective energy and environmental ministries, leading geothermal agencies, and electric utilities in the region an overview of some of the key issues of geothermal development, with a special focus on environmental issues. The Vice-President of El Salvador (Licda. Ana Vilma Albanez de Escobar) opened the Workshop. Amongst speakers on the opening day were the Economy Minister of El Salvador (Mrs. Yolanda Mayora de Gavidi), the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources of Nicaragua (Mr. Cristobal Sequeira), the Minister of Minister of Mines and Energy of Guatemala (Mr. Luis Ortiz), and the Director of the UNU-GTP (Dr. Ingvar B. Fridleifsson).

Thirty-six papers were presented (and distributed printed, on CDs, and on www.os.is/unugtp/). The lecturers came from the four Central American countries as well as Iceland, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Philippines and the USA. Among the lecturers were 9 former UNU-GTP Fellows. The speeches conclusions, and papers presented at this very successful Workshop can be veiwed here.

The cooperation with LaGeo in organizing the Workshop was marvellous. LaGeo´s staff under the leadership of General Director Mr. José Antonio Rodriguez did an outstanding job. Sincere thanks are due to LaGeo´s management and staff for their help, hospitality and friendship. The UNU-GTP looks forward to the cooperation in capacity building with LaGeo and the countries of Central America during the next few years.

 

A few photos from the Workshop can be viewed at the and of this article.
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Background of the Millennium Workshops of the UNU-GTP

The Government of Iceland has secured core funding for the UNU-GTP to expand its capacity building activities by annual workshops/short courses in geothermal development in selected countries in Africa (started in 2005), Central America (started in 2006), and in Asia (starting in 2007). This is a contribution of the Government of Iceland towards the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations. A part of the objective is to increase the cooperation between specialists in the respective countries/regions. The courses may in the future develop into sustainable regional geothermal training centres.

The first workshop in Africa (“Workshop for Decision Makers on Geothermal Projects and their Management”) was held in Kenya in November 2005 with participants from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. It was co-hosted by the UNU-GTP and KenGen. The second Africa event was held 12-21 November 2006 in Kenya and entitled “Short Course on Surface exploration for geothermal resources”. The aim was to give “a state of the art” overview of the possibilities and status of surface geothermal exploration in East Africa. Participation was by invitation only, with 23 participants from the 6 ARGeo-nations (Djibouti 2, Eritrea 3, Ethiopia 3, Tanzania 2, Uganda 3, and 10 from the host country Kenya). The lectures and demonstrations were in the hands of 4 Icelanders (UNU-GTP and ISOR) and 12 former UNU Fellows from KenGen and one from Ethiopia. The short course was a great success, as shown by the participants by their devoted attention and patience through the long days of lectures and discussions. The cooperation with KenGen has been marvellous. We send many thanks to KenGen´s management and staff. We plan to continue our capacity building cooperation with KenGen and the East African countries during the next few years.



The Vice-President of El Salvador, Licda. Ana Vilma Albanez de Escobar, giving her speech at the opening ceremony of the Workshop.


 

 

 

The participants on the first day of the Workshop.



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