Authorities officially inaugurated the project located in San Isidro, Matagalpa

ENESOLAR 1 solar plant will boost the sustainability of drinking water services in Nicaragua

The Government of Nicaragua and authorities from the Embassy of the People's Republic of China officially inaugurated the ENESOLAR 1 Photovoltaic Plant project, with an annual generation capacity of 139,823 MWh, located in the municipality of San Isidro, Matagalpa.

This project substantially benefits the Nicaraguan people, enabling the development of more drinking water, sanitation, and electricity generation systems.

The ceremony was attended by Laureano Ortega Murillo, Presidential Advisor for Investment, Trade, and International Cooperation; and the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China, Qu Yuhui.

Also present were Ovidio Reyes, President of the Central Bank of Nicaragua (BCN); and Nicolás Espinoza, Vice Minister of Finance and Public Credit (MHCP). Ervin Barreda, CEO of the National Water and Sewerage Company (ENACAL); Salvador Mansell, Minister of Energy and CEO of ENATREL; Yu Liang, CEO of CCCC International; and Zhao Xiaobing, legal representative of CCCC International.

During the inauguration event held in Managua, Ervin Barreda highlighted the project's impact, detailing its components: "The ENESOLAR 1 plant makes a decisive contribution, with an installed capacity of 61.42 megawatts. In an area of ​​approximately 160 city blocks, it includes, among other components, 100,100 photovoltaic solar panels, 187 inverters, and a step-up electrical substation consisting of a 75 MW transformer and a 12 MW battery bank."

“This plant is designed to generate approximately 139,823 MWh annually, equivalent to 35% of the total energy consumption used in ENACAL's pumping systems. This reaffirms the strategic importance of this type of project for the sustainability of existing and future water and sanitation services, benefiting Nicaraguan families,” he stated.

In turn, the Vice Minister of Finance and Public Credit, Nicolás Espinoza, acknowledged that “we want to highlight the support of the People's Republic of China for this project. We are extremely pleased with its completion and the contribution it will make to the country's development. This project will expand the energy coverage needed, primarily for sanitation and drinking water. The Ministry of Finance will continue its strong support for these planned projects, which will bring development to the country.”

Nicaragua Towards Energy Independence
Mr. Yu Liang, CEO of CCCC International, emphasized that this is a historic moment for Nicaragua, as the project demonstrated its effectiveness and maximum capacity during its testing phase.

“Today, we can finally deliver with great pride the perfect result to the governments and people of both nations. The ENESOLAR 1 plant was successfully connected to the grid for its trial operation on April 26th, and to date, it has operated continuously at full capacity for over a month, cumulatively supplying more than 20 kWh of clean electricity to Nicaragua’s national grid,” he stated.

He mentioned that this new project is an example of how China and Nicaragua are strengthening their friendship with green technology and building the future with clean energy.

“This is not just an energy project, but one that tangibly benefits the well-being of the people. During the construction period, the project generated employment for more than 1,000 local people cumulatively. Many young people from the area entered the renewable energy industry for the first time, acquiring new professional skills and becoming valuable local talent. I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the Government of Nicaragua for its complete trust and unconditional support, the efficient coordination, and the firm backing provided during construction by the Presidency of the Republic, which was the strongest guarantee for the successful completion of this project,” he added.

He mentioned that the “El Hato” photovoltaic plant and the ENESOLAR 3 photovoltaic plant are also being built simultaneously, which will add an installed capacity of 200 MW, generating clean energy and bringing the region ever closer to energy independence.

For his part, the Minister of Energy and CEO of ENATREL stated that the project contributes to the increase in national electricity coverage, emphasizing that the amount of solar energy delivered to the people in the country has increased in recent years.

“This major project, which brings energy to all Nicaraguan families, contributes to increasing electricity coverage nationwide, but it also brings the great satisfaction of contributing to improving the water supply for Nicaraguan families. So, in a quick assessment of this project, we see the increase in energy demand from our people, but thanks to this project, to the CCCC company, and to all the institutions that have been contributing, we have been able to meet that growing demand,” he said.

“Solar energy already represents and is approaching 20% ​​of the energy delivered to our people, and we continue to grow. There are more solar and wind projects planned for 2026, 2027, and 2028. We will have more than 300 MW in renewable sources, thus driving the change in the energy matrix, a direction given to us by our government to depend less and less on oil and to be able to use our natural resources to bring that well-being and peace of mind to Nicaraguan families,” he said.

Greater Boost to Economic Activity
For his part, the president of the Central Bank of Nicaragua (BCN) highlighted that electricity generation guarantees a greater boost to the country's economic development, emphasizing that Nicaragua is experiencing remarkable economic expansion, marking its fifth consecutive year of growth at an average rate of around four and a half percent. He noted that in the first quarter of 2026, all economic sectors grew by 6%.

“The agricultural production sector is growing. Industry is growing. Construction is growing significantly, at almost 15%. Commerce is also growing at 8%. And services, at around 7%. Financial services, which accompany economic development, are also growing."

"And foreign direct investment is not lagging behind, reaching $3 billion last year, which represents a significant amount of money for our country, in an economy of $22 billion. Therefore, we are facing a process that is driving demand, boosting the global economy, and electricity generation must keep pace with economic growth,” he stated.

“So this ENESOLAR project will contribute to the additional demand that economic growth will require, which it will drive and, above all, generate employment. It will support the energy matrix. We can only congratulate the company and wish them the best of success, with the support of the government. Of course, the government also demands energy because we produce public services: health services, education services, and, in this case, water services. This project will contribute to the momentum we are generating from the public sector to provide greater well-being and happiness for our people within the framework of the National Plan to Combat Poverty,” he emphasized.

Nicaragua-China brotherhood: positive results
The sister city relationship between Nicaragua and the People's Republic of China allows projects of this kind to continue developing, with the Nicaraguan people as the main beneficiaries, providing them with better living conditions in their communities.

The Chinese Ambassador to Nicaragua, Mr. Qu Yuhui, emphasized that the project is one of the largest in Central America and, to date, the largest in Nicaragua, allowing the country to leverage its natural resources and establish an energy transmission network for its future development.

“This project, the San Isidro Photovoltaic Plant, is one of the largest in Central America and, to date, is also the largest in Nicaragua. Under the leadership of Co-Presidents Commander Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, Nicaragua's economy and social development are undergoing significant progress and transformations. Harnessing its own natural resources and achieving a rapid energy transition is essential and fundamental for Nicaragua's future development. And in this area, in the area of ​​renewable energy, Chinese companies are among the most competent globally in terms of experience, technology, equipment supply, and maintenance. Therefore, there is great potential for collaboration between China and Nicaragua in this field,” he said.

“Throughout the entire implementation process of this project, both sides have demonstrated great affinity and have successfully completed the work with great dedication. This project not only contributes to Nicaragua's economic development but also strongly reflects the dynamism of China-Nicaragua cooperation,” he stated.

We believe in Nicaragua's future.
The diplomat noted that the restoration of relations between the two nations has facilitated significant exchanges and projects that benefit Nicaraguans.

“Over the five years since the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Nicaragua, and always under the guidance of the heads of state of both countries, we have achieved significant progress in many areas of our bilateral relations. Looking to the future, we believe in Nicaragua's future. Convinced that under the leadership of Commander Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo, Nicaragua has very clear development goals and well-defined, well-aligned strategic development plans, always focused on the well-being of its people. We firmly believe that Nicaragua's future will certainly have very bright prospects,” he said.

“We also believe in the dynamism of cooperation between China and Nicaragua. Equality, mutual respect, openness, and friendship form the basis of our cooperation; while shared benefit, complementarity, and win-win outcomes are the main characteristics of our collaboration. Over the past five years, China and Nicaragua have not only carried out efficient solidarity-based cooperation, but we have also achieved fruitful collaboration in the economic and trade sectors, and increasingly in the area of ​​investment. This cooperation looks to the present, but also to the future, and we believe that through this cooperation, China can continue to contribute to Nicaragua's sustainable development capacity,” he added.

For his part, Comrade Laureano Ortega extended his greetings to the people and government of the People's Republic of China, joining in the inauguration of the solar park, which strengthens ENACAL's capabilities, allowing more Nicaraguan families to have access to the water and sanitation system nationwide and reducing operating costs.

“The government and people of China express their deep gratitude to President Xi Jinping, the Communist Party of China, the people and government of that brotherly country, and of course to the CCCC company. Today we are inaugurating the operations of this photovoltaic park, this solar park that has been built in San Isidro, Matagalpa, called ENESOLAR 1, which will strengthen ENACAL's capacity to bring drinking water service to Nicaraguan families and contributes almost 63 MW to the national energy grid, thus adding to all the work and projects that our government is carrying out to guarantee the energy security of the Nicaraguan people,” he said.

In this regard, he stated that this contributes “to our country’s energy sovereignty. Nicaragua has the natural resources to produce the energy we so desperately need for our people’s activities, and thanks to this strategic alliance and partnership with the People’s Republic of China, we are carrying out these renewable energy projects that will allow us to achieve our goal of energy security with our own sources. This is aimed at providing better service to our people, lowering energy rates, making energy more affordable, and contributing to Nicaragua’s comprehensive growth and economy. It will also encourage more investment, more industries, more exports, more production, and ensure we have the energy for our hospitals, schools, universities, government institutions, and our people’s homes.”

He reiterated that this mega-project is part of the collaborative work between the two nations, adding, “It has special significance because, since the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Nicaragua and China in November 2021, this is the first project built in our country under credit mechanisms from the People's Republic of China for Nicaragua. This has been made possible thanks to the cooperation with the large state-owned company CCCC, the support of Chinese financial institutions, and the work of our ministries and Nicaraguan workers. We will continue working with CCCC, with other solar projects currently under construction.”

Source: 19 Digital