Guatemala to increase electricity coverage in rural areas with IDB support
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a 25-year term and 250 million dollars loan to finance the “Rural Electrification Access Program”, which aims to increase the access to electricity in rural areas in Guatemala, as well as to strengthen capacities of the National Electrification Institute (INDE) for the planning, design, and management of rural electrification projects.
Over 70,000 households are expected to benefit from this initiative, in municipalities with the lowest electrical coverage. Indigenous populations and women will also benefit from awareness actions on productive uses of electricity and training for the maintenance of isolated systems.
The program will finance investments in rural electrical infrastructure, including the expansion of medium- and low-voltage distribution networks and the strengthening of existing networks. It will also finance mini grids with renewable energy and energy storage systems, and the installation of Individual Solar Photovoltaic Systems with energy storage.