With China's most advanced solar technology! Nicaragua begins construction on the "El Hato" photovoltaic plant

With the groundbreaking ceremony, the Ministry of Energy and Mines and the state-owned company CCCC (China Communications and Construction Corporation) began construction this Monday on the "El Hato" Solar Photovoltaic Power Generation Plant Design and Construction Project, with a capacity of 67.35 MW, an energy project of great impact for the Nicaraguan population.

Present at the launch of this megaproject, which will be located in Ciudad Darío, were Laureano Ortega Murillo, Presidential Advisor for the Promotion of Investment, Trade, and International Cooperation of the Government of Nicaragua; Chen Xi, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Nicaragua; the Executive Vice President of CCC International; Salvador Mansell Castrillo, Minister of Energy and Mines; Pedro Haslam, Political Secretary of the Sandinista Front in the department of Matagalpa; Bruno Gallardo, Minister of Finance and Public Credit; Sadrach Zeledón, Mayor of Matagalpa.

The Chinese State-owned Enterprise CCCC is one of the world's leaders in infrastructure, contributing significantly to modernization and development.

Laureano Ortega Murillo, Presidential Advisor for the Promotion of Investment, Trade, and International Cooperation of the Government of Nicaragua, conveyed the fraternal and warm greetings of the Co-Presidents, Commander Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.

The main objective is to eradicate extreme poverty.
Laureano emphasized that these projects aim to eradicate poverty. “This project is being carried out in the land of Darío. We are working on this solar energy project, and as Rubén told you, here we are with this sun that illuminates us and never sets. Thus, in the brotherly relationship with the People's Republic of China, we are energized by this sun, energized in every way, to provide our people with energy, electrification, that right that all Nicaraguans have, and also to energize ourselves with faith, optimism, hope, looking to the future, because we have made progress on our path to development and in our primary objectives, which is the fight against poverty. Just as China managed to eradicate extreme poverty, hand in hand with our brothers in the People's Republic of China, we will eradicate poverty in Nicaragua.”

He emphasized that this fraternal relationship is the foundation of the Revolution. "Here is the Sandinista People's Revolution, serving its people, our Co-Presidents, Commander Daniel Ortega and Comrade Rosario Murillo, hand in hand with a comrade like President Xi Jinping, and that people and government, working for well-being and development, development with social justice, which is what these socialist and revolutionary governments believe in."

He also highlighted the programs and projects that have been jointly promoted by both peoples.

“By the grace of God, we found this great company, which came to Nicaragua with the drive, the strength, and the willingness to work for the development of our country and to position its company strongly in Nicaragua and, from Nicaragua, for the entire Central American region. We immediately got to work, analyzing projects, looking for projects that could have the greatest impact on our population, to benefit our people, to give us the tools and opportunities to develop more quickly, with greater strength, to generate more jobs, more opportunities for industries to establish in our country, for more Chinese companies to come and invest in all sectors of the economy, and for companies from around the world, and for all of this, energy is necessary,” he stated.

He recalled that before 2007, Nicaragua was in the dark. "Our President, Commander Daniel, and Co-President Rosario Murillo restored the right of the Nicaraguan people to have energy, which meant greater investment, greater production, and greater employment. That's why we are moving forward with these strategic investments that CCCC is making with Nicaragua, so that we have energy sovereignty, a solid foundation for our economy to be dynamic and diversified, and so that there can be greater growth for all and greater opportunities for all."

In two years, this large company has completed four major energy projects, which together will generate more than 250 MW in Nicaragua.

"This is extraordinary. It means the strong willingness of our authorities to support these projects, the strong political commitment, and the work being done by the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Finance to carry out all these negotiations in record time and begin construction. For us, eradicating poverty is urgent. But all of this would be impossible without a serious, responsible, professional, and efficient company. That's why we feel proud and honored to be working with this world-leading company, CCCC," he said.

We are working with this large company on projects from other sectors that also contribute to development in Nicaragua.

CCCC has become a flagship company for this cooperation and will go down in history as the first company to secure the first project under the China Commercial Credit Model for Nicaragua.

“We have the N-Solar 1 plant, we are working with Enacal in Matagalpa, and with these four projects that we are managing to complete in such a short time, this is a record in our country for new renewable energy projects being installed in Nicaragua,” added Laureano.

Total Change of the Energy Matrix
For his part, Salvador Mansell Castrillo, Minister of Energy and Mines, recalled the 54% electricity coverage, 25% of which was based on renewable sources, and a deficient national interconnected system and poor connections nationwide. Today, Nicaragua has over 99% electricity coverage, meaning 99 out of every 100 Nicaraguans have access to electricity.

“Truly, when we see such important projects, which aim to promote our country's natural resources—which we have sufficient to be able to deliver energy to our people, to Nicaraguan families, with quality and continuity—we remember the mandate of our Co-President, Commander Daniel, and our Co-President, Rosario Murillo, who mandated us in 2007 to end energy rationing in the country. We always remember them for the significant changes we are experiencing in the country.”

In Matagalpa, there are 130 MW of solar projects; added to the 130 MW of hydroelectric generation, that's 260 MW. “And by 2026, we have projects in San Nicolás, La Trinidad, and Estelí; with that, we'll have over 300 MW of renewable sources in the northern region.”

He added that 2025-2026 will completely change the country's energy mix. "This year, with our renewable sources, we have reached 85% of our energy delivery, prioritizing renewable sources."

"With these installed capacities, accompanied by the cooperation of Chinese companies, we are strengthening the development of renewable generation in our country. We are pleased because it means providing our people with continuous and reliable energy and improving the quality of life for Nicaraguan families," Mansell said.

In his remarks, the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Nicaragua, Chen Xi, expressed that China and Nicaragua are two friendly countries that have developed increasingly solid political trust and increasingly broad relations.

“This project, ‘El Hato,’ although a commercial project, the government is not directly involved in either the negotiations or the construction of the project. However, the government has been supporting all the cooperation projects, all the projects being developed here in Nicaragua, so that both countries can enjoy the successes of our friendship and our cooperation.”

Projects are pillars for green energy in Nicaragua
Mr. He Junfeng, Vice President of CCCC International, emphasized that this city, within 18 months, will have a photovoltaic plant equipped with the most advanced technology in China, with a total installed capacity of 67.35 MW, and will be connected to the national grid through a new 138 KV step-up substation.

“As a contractor, allow me to express, on behalf of China Communications Construction Company, our sincere gratitude to the Government of Nicaragua for the trust placed in our company; at the same time, I would like to express our deep gratitude to the Chinese Embassy in Nicaragua for its attention and guidance.”

The Vice President of CCCC emphasized that the implementation of this series of projects will form the pillars of Nicaragua's green energy, reflecting the Nicaraguan government's firm determination to transform its energy generation matrix, taking a decisive step toward the country's sustainable development.

CCCC will strictly adhere to project deadlines, efficiently executing and constructing a flagship project with the most advanced photovoltaic and energy storage technology from China, and will comply with national and regional construction standards and grid connection requirements.

It will also adopt the most appropriate construction techniques to ensure the project's progress and safety, while creating more jobs and developing talent for Nicaragua's renewable energy industry.

Source: 19 Digital