BLP Honduras concludes its advisory role in the first phase of the Los Prados Photovoltaic Project

On October 1, BLP Honduras concluded its lengthy legal advisory on the Los Prados Photovoltaic Project, Phase 1, which resulted in the successful connection of the Project’s first 35MW to the Honduran National Electrical Power Company (ENEE), inaugurating the sale of electric energy in a safe and reliable manner to the National Interconnected System. The BLP team was capably led by Partner Karla Aguilar, assisted by Associates Rafael Chicas and Andrea Ramírez, with the support of various members of our Business Law and Tax practice areas.

Over the years, the project encountered major regulatory, social, and contractual challenges, which BLP Honduras met at each step.

Due to the complexity of the project, the decision was made to divide it into 2 stages, necessitating reengineering, re-ceding, expansion, modification, and relocation of the parks, which implied the need to modify and expand several environmental licenses and concession contracts that had been granted by the State of Honduras, along with the total relocation of 2 projects, something never before realized by an energy project in Honduras. It was also necessary to obtain four extensions to the Electric Power Supply Contract signed with the ENEE.

Our efforts began in 2014 when BLP Honduras assisted our clients, Scatec Solar and Norfund, in the purchase of a corporate group that included several renewable energy projects with solar-photovoltaic power. With an installed capacity of approximately 44MW, the combined power entity has been designed to generate around 73,000kWh of electricity per annum, sufficient to power more than 16,300 households in the Municipality of Namasigüe, Department of Choluteca. Attorney Aguilar advised at each stage of the project from beginning to end.

Thanks to the initiative of our client Scatec Solar, an independent integrated solar energy producer that offers a rapid and sustainable deployment of affordable clean energy throughout the world, the project came to fruition. Scatec Solar develops, builds, owns, operates and maintains solar power plants, and already has a history of installation of nearly 1,000 MW.

In addition, our client Norfund supported Scatec Solar in making this sustainable development project a reality in Honduras, thus contributing to the economic and social development of a poor neighboring country.

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