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Revision as of 17:27, 20 December 2016
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In December 2013, with the plant already seven months behind schedule, Jaguar Energy cancelled its contract with lead contractor CMNC<ref name=CentralAmericaData2>[http://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/home/Contract_for_Construction_of_Coal_Plant_Canceled "Contract for Construction of Coal Plant Canceled,"], Central America Data, December 17, 2013.</ref> and construction was suspended.<ref name=CentralAmericaData3>[http://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/home/Guatemala_300_MW_Plant_Halted_Due_to_Business_Dispute "Guatemala: 300 MW Plant Halted Due to Business Dispute,"], Central America Data, January 24, 2014.</ref> Jaguar Energy solicited new bids for electromechanical and construction work<ref name=CentralAmericaData4> [http://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/home/Jaguar_Energy_Tenders_Power_Plant_Works "Jaguar Energy Tenders Power Plant Works,"], Central America Data, January 31, 2014.</ref> and in February 2014 signed a new agreement with the Ecuadorian company Santos CMI.<ref>[http://www.bnamericas.com/project-profile/es/planta-termoelectrica-jaguar-energy-jaguar-energy "Planta Termoeléctrica Jaguar Energy,"], BNAmericas website, accessed December 2016.</ref> In March 2014, Jaguar Energy Guatemala's General Manager Ernesto Córdova reported that the plant was 60% complete, and that his company would invest $400 million and hire 1400 workers to ensure completion of the project by May 2015. Upon completion of the project, Jaguar Energy would become Central America's biggest producer of coal-fired electricity.<ref name=E&N>[http://www.estrategiaynegocios.net/centroamericaymundo/centroamerica/guatemala/gtnegocios/624567-330/jaguar-energy-guatemala-finalizara-planta-en-mayo-de-2015 "Jaguar Energy Guatemala finalizará planta en mayo de 2015,"] E&N, March 14, 2014</ref>
In December 2013, with the plant already seven months behind schedule, Jaguar Energy cancelled its contract with lead contractor CMNC<ref name=CentralAmericaData2>[http://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/home/Contract_for_Construction_of_Coal_Plant_Canceled "Contract for Construction of Coal Plant Canceled,"], Central America Data, December 17, 2013.</ref> and construction was suspended.<ref name=CentralAmericaData3>[http://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/home/Guatemala_300_MW_Plant_Halted_Due_to_Business_Dispute "Guatemala: 300 MW Plant Halted Due to Business Dispute,"], Central America Data, January 24, 2014.</ref> Jaguar Energy solicited new bids for electromechanical and construction work<ref name=CentralAmericaData4> [http://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/home/Jaguar_Energy_Tenders_Power_Plant_Works "Jaguar Energy Tenders Power Plant Works,"], Central America Data, January 31, 2014.</ref> and in February 2014 signed a new agreement with the Ecuadorian company Santos CMI.<ref>[http://www.bnamericas.com/project-profile/es/planta-termoelectrica-jaguar-energy-jaguar-energy "Planta Termoeléctrica Jaguar Energy,"], BNAmericas website, accessed December 2016.</ref> In March 2014, Jaguar Energy Guatemala's General Manager Ernesto Córdova reported that the plant was 60% complete, and that his company would invest $400 million and hire 1400 workers to ensure completion of the project by May 2015. Upon completion of the project, Jaguar Energy would become Central America's biggest producer of coal-fired electricity.<ref name=E&N>[http://www.estrategiaynegocios.net/centroamericaymundo/centroamerica/guatemala/gtnegocios/624567-330/jaguar-energy-guatemala-finalizara-planta-en-mayo-de-2015 "Jaguar Energy Guatemala finalizará planta en mayo de 2015,"] E&N, March 14, 2014</ref>
−
In June 2015, after ongoing delays<ref>[http://www.centralamericadata.com/es/article/home/Guatemala_Ms_demoras_en_Jaguar_Energy "Guatemala: Más demoras en Jaguar Energy,"] Central America Data, April 10, 2015</ref><ref>[http://www.centralamericadata.com/es/article/business_commerce/Guatemala_Ms_retraso_para_planta_de_carbn "Guatemala: Más retraso para planta de carbón,"] Central America Data, June 5, 2015</ref> culminated in Jaguar Energy's failure to bring the plant online by the agreed-upon May 17 date, the Guatemalan energy distributor Energuate announced that it would cancel its contract with Jaguar Energy and seek to collect US$$45.3 in compensation, as stipulated in the contract.<ref>[http://www.centralamericadata.com/es/article/home/Guatemala_Cancelan_contrato_a_Jaguar_Energy "Guatemala: Cancelan contrato a Jaguar Energy,"] Central America Data, June 17, 2015</ref> However, in July 2015, Energuate reversed this decision, reinstating the agreement under which Jaguar Energy would supply 200MW of power to the grid<ref name=LaHora>[http://lahora.gt/jaguar-energy-un-negocio-en-el-centro-de-la-polemica "Jaguar Energy, un negocio en el centro de la polémica,"] La Hora, September 16, 2015</ref>
and
the plant's second unit successfully completed a 24-hour test run at its full 150 MW capacity
; upon completion of this test
, Jaguar Energy announced that both units of the plant were ready for commercial operations.<ref>[http://www.prensalibre.com/economia/jaguar-energy-concluye-con-exito-prueba-de-potencia-de-la-segunda-unidad "Jaguar Energy concluye con éxito prueba de potencia de la segunda unidad,"], Prensa Libre, July 26, 2015.</ref> In August 2015, according to Jaguar Energy's website, Guatemala's Administración del Mercado Mayorista granted formal accreditation to the Jaguar Energy power station, with energy supply contracts valid for 15 years.<ref>[http://jaguarenergy.com.gt/quienes-somos/ "¿Quiénes somos?,"], Jaguar Energy website, accessed December 2016.</ref>
+
In June 2015, after ongoing delays<ref>[http://www.centralamericadata.com/es/article/home/Guatemala_Ms_demoras_en_Jaguar_Energy "Guatemala: Más demoras en Jaguar Energy,"] Central America Data, April 10, 2015</ref><ref>[http://www.centralamericadata.com/es/article/business_commerce/Guatemala_Ms_retraso_para_planta_de_carbn "Guatemala: Más retraso para planta de carbón,"] Central America Data, June 5, 2015</ref> culminated in Jaguar Energy's failure to bring the plant online by the agreed-upon May 17 date, the Guatemalan energy distributor Energuate announced that it would cancel its contract with Jaguar Energy and seek to collect US$$45.3 in compensation, as stipulated in the contract.<ref>[http://www.centralamericadata.com/es/article/home/Guatemala_Cancelan_contrato_a_Jaguar_Energy "Guatemala: Cancelan contrato a Jaguar Energy,"] Central America Data, June 17, 2015</ref> However, in
early
July 2015, Energuate reversed this decision, reinstating the agreement under which Jaguar Energy would supply 200MW of power to the grid
.
<ref name=LaHora>[http://lahora.gt/jaguar-energy-un-negocio-en-el-centro-de-la-polemica "Jaguar Energy, un negocio en el centro de la polémica,"] La Hora, September 16, 2015</ref>
A few weeks later,
the plant's second unit successfully completed a 24-hour test run at its full 150 MW capacity,
and
Jaguar Energy announced that both units of the plant were ready for commercial operations.<ref>[http://www.prensalibre.com/economia/jaguar-energy-concluye-con-exito-prueba-de-potencia-de-la-segunda-unidad "Jaguar Energy concluye con éxito prueba de potencia de la segunda unidad,"], Prensa Libre, July 26, 2015.</ref> In August 2015, according to Jaguar Energy's website, Guatemala's Administración del Mercado Mayorista granted formal accreditation to the Jaguar Energy power station, with energy supply contracts valid for 15 years.<ref>[http://jaguarenergy.com.gt/quienes-somos/ "¿Quiénes somos?,"], Jaguar Energy website, accessed December 2016.</ref>
In July 2015 news broke of a major corruption scandal, in which Jaguar Energy is alleged to have paid Guatemalan officials US$120 million in exchange for government assistance in removing legal and environmental obstacles to the plant's construction.<ref>[http://www.dw.com/en/intimate-of-guatemala-president-charged-with-corruption/a-18574527 "Intimate of Guatemala president charged with corruption,"], Deutsche Welle, July 10, 2015.</ref> In the same month, agents from Guatemala's Ministerio Público (Attorney General's office) raided the Jaguar Energy plant site, after residents of the neighboring town of San Miguel Las Flores complained of large numbers of dead fish and severe pollution of the adjacent Río La Mora, allegedly caused by illegal dumping of contaminated waste water from the plant.<ref>[http://www.prensalibre.com/guatemala/escuintla/mp-efectua-allanamientos-en-empresa-juaguar-energy-por-caso-de-contaminacion "MP efectúa allanamientos en empresa Jaguar Energy por caso de contaminación,"], Prensa Libre, July 13, 2015.</ref> The Guatemalan government issued a warrant for the arrest of Jaguar Energy's former General Manager, Ernesto Córdova, a key figure in the corruption scandal, but as of late 2015 Mr. Córdova's whereabouts remained unknown.<ref>[https://www.thenation.com/article/what-was-an-enron-spinoff-doing-in-the-middle-of-guatemalas-corruption-scandal " What Was an Enron Spinoff Doing in the Middle of Guatemala’s Corruption Scandal?,"], The Nation, September 28, 2015.</ref>
In July 2015 news broke of a major corruption scandal, in which Jaguar Energy is alleged to have paid Guatemalan officials US$120 million in exchange for government assistance in removing legal and environmental obstacles to the plant's construction.<ref>[http://www.dw.com/en/intimate-of-guatemala-president-charged-with-corruption/a-18574527 "Intimate of Guatemala president charged with corruption,"], Deutsche Welle, July 10, 2015.</ref> In the same month, agents from Guatemala's Ministerio Público (Attorney General's office) raided the Jaguar Energy plant site, after residents of the neighboring town of San Miguel Las Flores complained of large numbers of dead fish and severe pollution of the adjacent Río La Mora, allegedly caused by illegal dumping of contaminated waste water from the plant.<ref>[http://www.prensalibre.com/guatemala/escuintla/mp-efectua-allanamientos-en-empresa-juaguar-energy-por-caso-de-contaminacion "MP efectúa allanamientos en empresa Jaguar Energy por caso de contaminación,"], Prensa Libre, July 13, 2015.</ref> The Guatemalan government issued a warrant for the arrest of Jaguar Energy's former General Manager, Ernesto Córdova, a key figure in the corruption scandal, but as of late 2015 Mr. Córdova's whereabouts remained unknown.<ref>[https://www.thenation.com/article/what-was-an-enron-spinoff-doing-in-the-middle-of-guatemalas-corruption-scandal " What Was an Enron Spinoff Doing in the Middle of Guatemala’s Corruption Scandal?,"], The Nation, September 28, 2015.</ref>