Central America has entered Gotion's radar for the next stage of energy storage in Latin America. During its participation in the Future Energy Summit (FES) Guatemala , the company stated that the region has the conditions to consolidate itself as one of the leading markets for BESS systems , after accumulating a track record of 500 MWh in Argentina .
"I definitely believe that Central America can consolidate itself as one of the most dynamic markets in renewable energy," said Israel Sánchez , Solution Engineer at Gotion , during his participation in the meeting.
REVIVE FES GUATEMALA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fQIrVqwZYk
He added: "We are one of the leading manufacturers of cells for energy storage systems globally. We are very eager to enter the region as well."
The signal points to a market that already has renewable experience, tenders in different countries and projects in operation, elements that could accelerate the incorporation of batteries to reinforce the stability of the grid.
"All the experience in the renewable energy sector in Central America, with tenders in different places and many projects already installed and in operation for a long time, I think gives them enough of a boost to make that transition to storage in a simpler way than perhaps other countries that are not as prepared," Sánchez said.
Furthermore, the executive noted that the local presence of manufacturers and suppliers in Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Colombia favors the development of new businesses and the technical support of projects.
" I think that also positions the Central American market as a very attractive market, eager to install and solve the network problems that are already being seen all over the world ," he noted.
For utility-scale projects, Gotion observes a growing preference for 20-foot containerized systems with a capacity of 5 MWh , a configuration that is gaining ground among developers today due to its relationship between density, transport and installation.
" The configurations we see developers moving the most are 20-foot containers with 5 MWh capacity today ," explained Sánchez.
Although the company already has 7 MWh solutions under development, the executive considered that transportation conditions in Central America favor more compact equipment over higher capacity alternatives.
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"We also have 7 MWh solutions already in the pipeline, but we do believe that, perhaps due to the logistical conditions in Central America—road issues that are a bit more complicated than what we see in Chile or Argentina—the best option will probably continue to be the 5 MWh model for utility projects, mainly due to weight, mobility and logistics issues," he stated.
Hybridizing photovoltaic plants and batteries appears to be one of the most promising ways to reduce intermittency and improve grid security. However, Gotion argued that the market should not limit the deployment of battery energy storage systems (BESS) to this single approach.
" We shouldn't focus solely on the fact that photovoltaics and storage must always go hand in hand ," Sánchez emphasized.
The executive explained that the company also offers standalone solutions that can be integrated with other generation sources, so solar hybridization should not be understood as the only available alternative.
This approach is particularly relevant in Central America, where the electricity matrix combines hydroelectric, geothermal, wind, solar and thermal resources, with different flexibility needs depending on each national system.
According to Sánchez, the advancement of energy storage will depend not only on the speed of adoption or technological availability. Equipment security will be a key factor in maintaining the confidence of operators, developers, financiers, and electrical systems.
" There is something we must not overlook: the security systems within the storage ," he warned.
" How many accidents haven't we seen in different plants at the commercial, industrial or utility level? " he asked, before emphasizing that the selection of the technology partner will have a direct impact on the bankability and stability of the network.
" Entering this new stage of the development of electricity markets with a partner that offers sufficient security within the equipment, and confidence for the financial systems and the stability of the network, is one of the most important points we must consider ," he said.
Alongside its interest in Central America, Gotion continues to strengthen its international presence. In Spain, it is promoting an industrial project in Valladolid with an initial investment of nearly €950 million , while in Slovakia, it is developing a gigafactory with InoBat , with an initial phase of 20 GWh and a projected capacity of up to 60 GWh .
This is in addition to an agreement with Richardson Electronics to expand the marketing of BESS systems in the United States and the expansion of its production capacity in China, where it announced a private placement of 5 billion RMB to finance projects exceeding 14 billion RMB , including a 20 GWh plant and a 2 GWh solid-state battery production line.
With this global rollout, the company now seeks to gain ground in a Central American market that, according to its assessment, already has the technical and commercial conditions to accelerate the incorporation of storage.