The need for greater Latin American integration to take advantage of the geothermal energy (which comes from the heat of the Earth) was raised in Panama by the engineer Antonio Almonte, in his capacity as President Pro Tempore of the Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (Sicreeee) of the countries of the Central American Integration System (SICA).
The Minister of Energy and Mines of Dominican Republic spoke in the framework of a work session of the VII Energy Week held in Panama by the Latin American organization of Energy (OLADE), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the government of Panama in collaboration with the entity EnergyNet.
At the end of his six-month term, Almonte said that it has been an honor for the government of Dominican Republic having assumed the presidency of the integration space of Sicreeee, and contributing to the advances in the regional energy agenda.
“For our region it is a challenge to lay the foundations that contribute to the adequate exploitation of the geothermal potential. As you know, it is one of the biggest challenges in the world and it has positive impacts in terms of energy independence or sovereignty”, she pointed out.
(The geothermal energy is a renewable energy which is obtained by taking advantage of the heat from the interior of the Earth. It consists of producing heat and electricity from the high temperatures that accumulate in the inner layers of the Earth. A renewable, clean and cheap resource with enormous potential for decarbonisation, energy transition and environmental sustainability).
“I want to motivate you to reflect on this situation and value the interest that a regional strategy aimed at promoting the use of information would generate. geothermal. Successfully completing this process would mean transforming the lives of the communities and populations that have access to this energy resource”, he emphasized.
He indicated that throughout this period of “Presidency pro tempore of the Council of Ministers of Energy, we have been more aware of how important this space is to strengthen existing ties and we value the ability to agree on points of view on the global energy situation”.
Almonte asked to take advantage of the fact that the activity is face-to-face to generate a space for high-level discussion that allows analyzing initiatives and perspectives of what is expected, as governing institutions of the energy sectorregarding integration within the framework of SICA.
“We have suggested a point of reflection related to the possibility of using the potential derived from the integration to manage negotiation and purchase mechanisms of energy inputs like natural gas,” he said.
He said that: We think that this would make us more resilient in the face of potential crises like the ones we have suffered recently and in the face of new geopolitical conditions”.
Relac, a space to reconcile
Minister Almonte also spoke during the governance committee assembly Renewables in Latin America and the Caribbean (Relac), which also met in this city, in which it advocated strengthening the political will for a clean and just energy transition throughout the region.
“Thanks to this platform we share lessons learned in climate security and it is a favorable space to reconcile the decarbonization of national economies, with the desire to ensure the social stability and economic during the process”, he said.
He said that the Relac initiative creates operating and monitoring structures that have opened a relevant stage in terms of energy cooperation.
“By initiating a virtuous dynamic of collaboration, we improve resilience, competitiveness and the sustainability of our electrical systems. It is important that the promotion of renewable sources be accompanied by adequate technical assistance mechanisms and continue designing communication channels for the fruitful exchange of experiences”, he pointed out.
He thanked the organization for its work in favor of the economic and social progress of our nations and its efforts to broaden the possibilities of action in a strategic area for the sustainable development.
He promised that the Dominican Republic it will continue to strengthen the existing bonds of union and will maintain its will to materialize objectives that have the advantage of being shared objectives.
The VII Energy Week takes place from December 12 to 16 at the Convention Center of the Marriot Hotel, in Panama City.
There are panels, conferences by experts from the energy ministries of the SICA countries and regional entities such as:
- IDB
- The ONU
- The Union Spanish Photovoltaic (UNEF), among others.
