Honduran President Nasry Asfura announced that the government will first proceed with a contract for approximately 600 MW, after being asked about the investments that could come to the country from the 1500 MW tender. which remained on hold and whose reformulation was planned after the electricity reform
“First we are going to put out to tender around 600 MW, probably a little more,” the president replied.
The definition now raises a central question for the sector: whether this volume will constitute a first stage of the 1500 MW, will imply a deeper reformulation of the process, or will correspond to an independent contract intended to cover immediate needs of the system.
So far, the Government has not specified which of these alternatives will prevail, nor has it provided information on technologies, timelines, or conditions for the call for proposals.
It is worth remembering that the contracting of 1500 MW of firm power has been on the Honduran energy agenda for more than a year.
The process had originally been launched in 2025, but was subsequently put on hold amid the change of administration and the discussion about a structural reform of the electricity market.
During 2026, the government maintained the 1500 MW target in its plans, although the timeline began to shift. As reported by Energía Estratégica , the expectation shifted to reformulating the terms of the project after the approval of the new regulatory framework and moving towards an award during 2027 .
The delay generated different interpretations within the sector.
The Honduran Renewable Energy Association (AHER) considered that the pause could become an opportunity to review the contracting conditions and strengthen the process before going back to the market.
The Honduran Association of Electric Power Producers (AHPEE) , for its part, conditioned the success of the future call for bids on the existence of clear rules, legal certainty and sufficient competition , factors considered fundamental to achieving better prices.
An additional concern also arose: that the delay in bringing new power online would force ENEE to maintain greater exposure to emergency purchases and the bargain market .
That last point specifically appeared in the president's statements.
Asfura points to the opportunity market cost
Asfura focused on the companies that currently sell energy to ENEE outside of long-term agreements.
“There are companies that do not have a contract with ENEE, they are in the market of opportunities and that is the most expensive there is because they enter production at the very end,” he said.
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The official intention is to provide greater predictability for these agents and contain the impact on the tariff. “We want to regulate them, ensure they have a contract, a real one that can guarantee their operability and thus ensure a reduction in the cost per kWh,” he added.
The issue had already arisen during the debate over the 1500 MW, when various actors in the sector warned that a prolonged delay could increase dependence on short-term mechanisms to cover demand.
Data from the Electric Energy Regulatory Commission (CREE) helps to put that pressure into perspective. For 2026, the agency projected production of approximately 11,880 GWh , with a significant portion channeled through the spot market.
The gap is especially marked in thermal generation: regulatory projections place its average cost at USD 113.45/MWh under contract , compared to USD 172.74/MWh when acquired in that market.
The electricity reform changes the scenario
Asfura's decision also comes after months in which the future tender was closely linked to the reform of the electricity sector.
Energía Estratégica followed the main changes proposed in Honduras during that process, including the reorganization of ENEE, modifications in the operation of the system and the market and new provisions for the contracting of generation.
The reform also introduces elements particularly relevant to renewables, such as the recognition of new figures linked to storage and greater possibilities for self-producers and their surpluses .
For private actors, resolving that regulatory framework was one of the necessary steps before moving forward again with a large-scale call for proposals.
Therefore, until now the expectation was that the 1500 MW would regain momentum once the regulatory front was cleared , with new foundations and a timetable geared towards 2027.
The emergence of an initial contract of around 600 MW now adds a variable that was not part of that public roadmap.
Oil and drought add pressure
Asfura also linked the need to act on costs with the current conditions of the system.
“You know what we are going through today with the oil situation and the drought; the two together pose a huge problem for the country's economy. We are trying to move forward,” he stated.
The combination of lower hydroelectric inputs and greater exposure to fuel-dependent generation could increase the marginal cost of the system and increase the need to resort to more expensive power plants to meet demand.
This scenario makes the discussion about how and when to incorporate new capacity under long-term contracts even more urgent.