Which companies are behind Honduras's electrical system and what comes with the 1500 MW tender?

Honduras exceeds 1000 MW of installed renewable capacity , according to the 2025 Firm Power Definitive Report prepared by the National Dispatch Center (CND) .

Although state-owned hydroelectric projects are the main contributors of firm power, renewable development in the country is driven by a wide range of private companies .

ENEE leads the hydroelectric segment with plants such as El Cajón (245 MW), Río Lindo (75 MW), Cañaveral (27 MW) and Patuca III (22 MW) .

These are in addition to contracted projects such as Arenal (38 MW) and Vegona (38 MW) , also recognized as firm power.

In the private sector, notable players include CISA (La Esperanza, 8.88 MW) , ENERGISA (Babilonia, 1.67 MW) and SEMSA (Mezapa, 1.43 MW) , along with dozens of small hydroelectric plants contracted or operating on a market basis.

These plants provide firm power validated by the CND, which allows them to participate in dispatch during critical system hours.

In wind power generation, the main developments are Cerro de Hula (124 MW), operated by Energía Eólica de Honduras SA (EEHSA), and San Marcos (112.5 MW), by San Marcos Wind Energy SA .

Chinchayote (12.1 MW) is also listed.

Although these parks represent most of the national wind power capacity, their contribution of firm power is very low , given their variability and current technical criteria.

The solar photovoltaic segment is led by developers such as SERSA (Choluteca I and II, 50 MW) , PRODERSSA (Nacaome, 44.5 MW) , FOTERSA (Solar del Pacífico, 20 MW) , LLANOSUR (Llanos del Sur, 14.8 MW) and GENERSA (Helios, 11.2 MW) .

Although they have significant installed capacity, most of these plants do not provide significant firm power , due to intermittency and lack of backup.

According to the official CND chart, renewables represent around 65% of daily generation .

Of that total, hydroelectricity contributes about 42% (25% regulated and 17% run-of-river), followed by wind power (13%) and solar power (10%) .

Wind farms total 159.75 MW in operation , with outstanding developments such as the Toabré Wind Farm (56.35 MW) , Rosa de los Vientos and Nuevo Chagres .

In these cases, private investment also prevails, with technical returns ranging from 22% to 85% , reflecting operational differences between the various agents.

In contrast, despite totaling more than 600 MW licensed, solar projects do not contribute generation to the system.

All registered parks, including Solar Fotovoltaica Penonomé (120 MW) , La Esperanza Solar (20 MW) or Macano Solar (4.75 MW) , are listed with a current power of zero.

This underutilization exposes a gap between the enabled potential and the actual deployment of infrastructure.

In parallel to this reality, Honduras is moving forward with an international tender to incorporate 1500 MW of firm capacity , with priority given to renewable technologies and storage solutions.

The call, led by the National Electric Energy Company (ENEE) with the support of the Electric Energy Regulatory Commission (CREE) , has already attracted the interest of at least ten international companies, marking a turning point for the sector.

"There are many strong companies interested," Commissioner Wilfredo Flores previously revealed to Energía Estratégica.

The structure of the process, based on reverse auctions and long-term contracts, seeks to increase the country's energy security, improve technological diversification, and attract new players to the local market.

The tendered portfolio includes renewable generation with and without storage, firm technologies and plants with immediate dispatch capacity, all under contracting schemes that seek to guarantee constant availability between 2026 and 2030 .

This redesign responds to a structural need of the system: to incorporate backup power and supply energy deficits without depending on thermal generation.

To be recognized as firm, projects must meet the CND criteria.

The regulation enables an alternative method for those integrating storage: they can choose between the average generation during critical hours or the conventional calculation, depending on which is more favorable for them.

Honduras' renewable energy map is made up of a strong state core and dozens of private companies that lead the development of wind, solar and hydroelectric power , although the weight of firm power remains in the hands of ENEE.

The 1500 MW tender could modify that configuration, incorporating more flexible assets and new players that manage to meet the technical requirements.

With hydroelectric, wind and solar power contributing more than 65% of daily generation , the challenge now is not only to increase installed capacity, but to ensure that renewables can deliver energy consistently and reliably .

Success will depend on technical adaptability and new investments in clean, backed-up solutions.