El Salvador:

El Salvador's Geothermal Potential (CentralAmericaData)

With an investment of $1.5 billion El Salvador could add 440 MWe to the 204 MWe already produced based on geothermal energy sources.

(Courtesy CIA.gov)

The projections were made by Julio Valdivieso, president of the company LaGeo. Furthermore, Toshitaka Takeuchi, energy specialist at the Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID), said El Salvador could generate up to 644 MWe (440 MWe more than it already has as installed capacity).

According to Valdivieso, "unlike other renewable energy sources, the discovery and exploitation of a geothermal well requires a significant investment, with varying success probabilities," reported Elmundo.com.sv. The cost of maintaining a geothermal well in order for it to produce profits is between about $6 million and $8 million.

According to the Master Plan for the Development of Renewable Energy of the National Energy Council (CNE) the country's capacity could grow to 791 MWe, of which 644 MWe would be related to energy generation in 12 points where there could be geothermal wells.