Energy profile: Honduras
Fuel mix (fossil fuels vs renewables)
Roughly half of Honduras's total energy supply comes from imported oil, with the remainder provided by biofuels and other renewables including solar, wind, and hydro.[1]
As recently as 2012, 70% of electricity was sourced from fossil fuels, but renewables' share of the electricity mix has grown, accounting for more than half of total electrical generation in 2020.[2][3]
As of 2021, Honduras continued to work on its 2050 National Energy Plan.[4]
Greenhouse gas emissions targets
Honduras's initial Nationally Determined Contribution called for a 15% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to business as usual between 2015 and 2030.[5][6] Its first NDC update, released in May 2021, raised this target to 16%, with 9% to be supplied by the energy sector.[7]
Government energy agencies
National energy ministry
MIAMBIENTE (Secretaría de Energía, Recursos Naturales, Ambiente y Minas) is responsible for the formulation, coordination, and evaluation of hydrological resources, new energy resources, renewable energy, and energy exploitation & exploration.
DGE (Dirección General de Energía Renovable y Eficiencia Energetica) is responsible for the development and efficient use of renewable energy while operating in harmony with the environment.
Permitting & regulatory agencies
SINAPH (Sistema Nacional de Áreas Protegidas de Honduras) authorizes permits following environmental impact assessments.[8]
The mining sector of Honduras is regulated by INHGEOMIN (Instituto Hondureño de Geología y Minas), which also grants mining licenses.[9]
Electric utilities
ENEE (Empresa Nacional de Energia Electrica) is responsible for electricity production, distribution, and operation of the national electrical grid.[10]
OES (Oficina de Electrificación Social) oversees electrification plans for rural Honduras.[11]
National oil company
Honduras does not have a national oil company.
Energy sector employment data
Extractive industries in Honduras employed 4,090 persons as of 2018.[12]
Electricity usage
Installed capacity
In 2020, Honduras's installed generating capacity was 2938 MW. Fossil fuels accounted for 35.8% of capacity, followed by hydro (28.6%), solar (17.4%), biomass (8.9%), wind (8.0%) and geothermal energy (1.3%).[3]
Production
In 2020, Honduras produced 10,038 GWh of electricity, sourced from a combination of fossil fuels (44.7%), hydro power (26.9%), solar (10.4%), biomass (7.9%), wind (7.0%) and geothermal energy (3.1%).[3]
Demand
In 2017, electricity demand was 1560 MW.[13]
Consumption
Honduras consumed 7.22 billion kWh in 2016.[14]
Coal in Honduras
Honduras does not produce coal and must rely on imports.[15] Hondurans consumed 180,779 tons of coal in 2016, approximately 19,500 cubic feet of coal per capita annually.[16]
Oil & Natural Gas in Honduras
Honduras does not produce oil or gas.[15] The country primarily imports fuel oils, lubricants, gasoline, and other petroleum products from the United States and Mexico.[17] As of 2016, Honduras was consuming 58,000 barrels of oil daily, approximately 0.26 gallons per capita.[18]
Offshore oil projects in Honduras have been explored within the past decade.[19] Gas pipeline projects to move oil and gas from the United States and Mexico into Central America are also under consideration which could include an LNG terminal in Honduras.[20]
Renewable Energy in Honduras
Honduras is a regional leader in solar energy, with roughly 11% of electricity provided by photovoltaics in 2018 and 2019.[2][21] As of 2016, the country ranked first in Central America for installed solar capacity and third in Latin America behind Chile and Mexico.[2] Honduras aims for 80% of its energy matrix to be from renewables by 2038.[13]
Iron & Steel in Honduras
Honduras is a producer and exporter of iron oxide[22], with plans to become Central America's first exporter of iron pellets in 2021.[23][24] Iron mines in Honduras have been associated with human rights violations and ecological damage.[25][12][26] As recently as 2019, local residents were still resisting an iron oxide mine situated in Montaña de Botaderos National Park sponsored by the US Nucor Corporation.[12] Aceros Alfa is Honduras' leading steelmaker, with a recently upgraded rolling mill in San Pedro Sula.[12][27]
Environmental & social impacts of energy in Honduras
Honduras is very vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including droughts, flooding, storm surges, sea level rise, stronger hurricanes, and crop failure.[28]
At risk territories in Honduras being impacted by extractive industries are continuously monitored by this Geoportal.
References
- ↑ "IEA Policies and Measures Database © OECD/IEA". IEA. Retrieved 2021-06-04.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Solar energy: The revolution spurring development in Honduras | IDB Invest". idbinvest.org. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Panorama Energético de América Latina y el Caribe 2021". OLADE. November 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Honduras towards the construction of its National Energy Policy 2050". OLADE. 2021-05-26. Retrieved 2021-10-13.
- ↑ "Contribución Prevista y Determinada a Nivel Nacional: INDC-Honduras" (PDF). Gobierno de la República de Honduras. September 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "How climate change affects the Honduran economy | Energy Transition". Energy Transition. 2019-03-07. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
- ↑ "Actualización de la Contribución Nacional Determinada de Honduras" (PDF). Gobierno de la República de Honduras. May 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Sistema Nacional de Áreas Protegidas y Vida Silvestre de Honduras (SINAPH)". MOCAPH. March 14, 2012.
- ↑ "2014 Honduras EITI Report". Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. October 31, 2016.
- ↑ "Honduras Energy Situation - energypedia.info". energypedia.info. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
- ↑ Super User. "Electrificacion Rural". www.enee.hn (in español). Retrieved 2021-05-18.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 "The hidden connection between a U.S. steel company and the controversial Los Pinares mine in Honduras - IWMF". Retrieved 2021-05-18.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Session IV: Accelerating Renewables Deployment in Regional Electricity Market in Honduras" (PDF). IRENA. May 23, 2018.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Honduras Energy Profile". www.indexmundi.com. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 "International - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)". www.eia.gov. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
- ↑ "Honduras Coal Reserves and Consumption Statistics - Worldometer". www.worldometers.info. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
- ↑ iContainers (2020-03-30). "Honduras´ main exports and imports | iContainers". iContainers. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
- ↑ "Honduras Oil Reserves, Production and Consumption Statistics - Worldometer". www.worldometers.info. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
- ↑ "BG offered exploration concession offshore Honduras". Offshore Magazine. May 2, 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador envision gas pipeline to bolster economic development". S&P Global Platts. May 20, 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Panorama Energético de América Latina y el Caribe 2020". OLADE. November 27, 2020.
- ↑ "Mina hondureña comienza a exportar óxido de hierro". Central America Data. September 27, 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Planta de óxido de hierro abrirá nuevos mercados al sector minero hondureño". Diario La Prensa. February 27, 2020.
- ↑ "Invertirán 120 millones de dólares en procesadora oxido de hierro en Honduras". Swissinfo. March 18, 2021.
- ↑ "Impacto socioambiental de la minería en la región noroccidental de Honduras a la luz de tres estudios de casos: Montaña de Botaderos (Aguán), Nueva Esperanza (Atlántida) y Locomapa (Yoro)" (PDF). Equipo de Reflexión, Investigación y Comunicación en coordinación con el Colegio para la Salud Pública y la Justicia Social de la Universidad de Saint Louis Missouri. June 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "No Holiday for Honduran Anti-Mining Activists Fighting for Freedom - Inequality.org". Inequality.org. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
- ↑ "Successful startup at Aceros Alfa - Russula". Russula. November 3, 2016.
- ↑ "Central America's choice: Pray for rain or migrate". NBC News. July 9, 2019.
