CABEI finances solar thermal system for Zamorano dairy plant

Tegucigalpa, August 9, 2016. – Today, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), through its Project "Accelerating Renewable Energy Investment in Central America and Panama (ARECA)," signed a US$69,979.00 technical assistance contract with the Panamerican Agricultural School, ZAMORANO, for the installation of a solar thermal system at the Zamorano Dairy Plant.

The objective of this non-reimbursable assistance is to support ZAMORANO in the execution of the project denominated, "Solar Heater for the Thermal Treatment of the Dairy Plant" on the university campus. ZAMORANO has the largest university-based Agroindustrial Park in Latin American, where its students learn about adding value to different products.

Through this initiative, CABEI’s Project ARECA will contribute to the Zamorano educational process, contributing to its students’ learning process, as ZAMORANO introduces renewable energy use to its production activities. These efforts will build on the Zamorano “Learning by Doing” philosophy.

ZAMORANO is an educational institution concerned about the environment; its implementation of this project will eliminate the emission of 60 tons of carbon dioxide, 155 kg of nitric oxide, 190 kg of sulfur oxide and 2.5 kg of methane gas per year, thereby contributing to reducing greenhouse gases.

This effort represents a milestone in raising external regional development funds from international organizations, such as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The effort will also boost competitiveness and regional integration, which are fundamental axes of CABEI’s 2015-2019 Institutional Strategy, "Integrating Sustainable Development and Competitiveness."

CABEI and Project ARECA promote renewable energy projects and initiatives that support the sustainable economic growth of the Central American region. ARECA has channeled new renewable energy investments on the order of US$179,360,096.00, representing a renewable energy generation installed capacity of 65 MW and the annual reduction of 182,757 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.

Project ARECA is a tripartite initiative of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and CABEI as executing agency. It supports the financing of small renewable energy projects under 10 MW.