The Ministry of Energy and Mines, through agreement 010-DGERR-009-2024, reduced from three to two the number of properties that will be expropriated for the construction project of the “Solar Fotovoltaica El Hato” electric power generation plant. The land covers more than 150 blocks.
“The acquisition of land for an area of 1,060,318.16 square meters, affecting by expropriation two properties located in the El Hato region, municipality of Ciudad Darío, department of Matagalpa, is declared to be of public utility and social interest,” details the ministerial agreement.
In June 2023, the Ministry of Energy and Mines approved the expropriation of three properties that supposedly covered that same amount of land, but, according to this new ministerial agreement, published on August 21 in La Gaceta, there was a verification at the cadastral and registry level.
They explain that the “field survey with the participation of the Attorney General’s Office (PGR), the Nicaraguan Institute of Territorial Studies (Ineter) and the MEM” determined that the work only affects two properties.
The land will be acquired by the State of Nicaragua under the concept of public utility, according to information released by the MEM. Those affected by the measure are Juan Pánfilo Gutiérrez Treminio and Rogelio Antonio Trujillo Juárez and José Alberto Trujillo Juárez.
The property of Juan Pánfilo Gutiérreez Treminio, with property number 97367 and cadastral number 5490-8791-9155-37, has an affected area of 143,947.49 square meters. While the land of Rogelio Antonio Trujillo Juárez and José Alberto Trujillo Juárez, with property number 69419 and cadastral number 5490-9727-3666-14, has an area of 916,370.65 square meters.
Both properties, MEM details, are located 1.5 kilometers from the Terrabona junction, in the municipality of Ciudad Darío, Matagalpa.
They will be “compensated” by the State of Nicaragua
In the first ministerial agreement related to the expropriation of these properties destined for the El Hato Photovoltaic Solar Plant, the State of Nicaragua assured that “the people who are affected as a result of the expropriation (…) will be compensated and indemnified in accordance with the special provisions established in decree number N⁰ 229, Expropriation Law.”
Related news: Sandinista deputies ratified customs and export credit agreements with Belarus
According to information released in official media, the El Hato Solar Photovoltaic power generation plant will have a capacity of 67.35 megawatts and will require an investment of more than 80 million dollars, which will also come from a loan with China.
Last April, China and Nicaragua signed an agreement for this solar energy project to be developed by the China Communication and Construction Corporation (CCCC). In addition, in October 2023, they signed another solar energy project with the same company called the San Isidro Plant to “boost” the systems of the Nicaraguan Water and Sewer Company (ENACAL), which, they indicated at that time, would have a capacity of 63 megawatts and an investment of 82 million dollars.
According to reports from official media, the construction of the San Isidro solar plant began last June, after the CCCC company, together with Ortega’s officials, carried out the ceremony to lay the first stone. The official reports – contradicting what was reported last April – reduced the number of megawatts of power that the San Isidro Solar Plant will have to 61.45 and increased the investment price to 90 million dollars.
