Río Hondo, Zacapa, March 21, 2025 – Kruger Energy today held an official ceremony to inaugurate Zacapa Solar and announce an expansion project that will double the solar farm's installed capacity from 9 to 18 MW. The expansion will be carried out in two phases, concluding in 2028, and will add a total of 20,000 solar panels.

 

The ceremony was held at the Zacapa Solar facilities, adjacent to the GrandBay PAINSA Central America tissue paper plant , in Río Hondo, Guatemala. Attendees included His Excellency Olivier Jacques , Ambassador of Canada to Guatemala; Óscar Ernesto Mata , Mayor of Río Hondo, Zacapa; César Augusto Paiz Gómez , Mayor of Teculután, Zacapa; Jean Roy , Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Kruger Energy; Alexandre Patte , Chief Financial Officer of Kruger Industrial; César Augusto Solano Velandia , CEO of the GrandBay Group; as well as many other representatives from the Guatemalan government, Zacapa Solar,  Kruger Inc. and project partners.

 

An award-winning project

 

Zacapa Solar was built to supply power exclusively to the local tissue paper mill under a 35-year agreement with GrandBay PAINSA Centroamérica , which leases the solar plant from Kruger Energy. Zacapa Solar is the largest distributed solar generation project in Guatemala, after the meter. It was commissioned in 2022 following investments totaling US$13.6 million by Kruger Energy Inc. and its financial partners.

 

Currently, the site has 20,544 solar panels installed on the ground and rooftops. The installation is directly connected to the tissue paper mill's substation and reduces grid energy consumption by approximately 16 GWh per year, replacing it with renewable energy. At the end of the expansion project, the number of solar panels will reach 40,544, and the mill's annual grid energy consumption will be reduced by approximately 32.4 GWh.

 

Zacapa Solar was also recognized by Solar Builder as one of its Projects of the Year with the Editor's Choice Award in the Emissions Impact category, in recognition of its contribution to Guatemala's efforts to transition to more sustainable energy sources.

 

 

 

 

 

Quotes:

“For Canada, the trade relationship with Guatemala is vital. Projects like Zacapa Solar, which combine innovation and technology, strengthen our ties and promote job creation and local economic development. Supporting foreign investment drives Guatemala’s economic growth and offers more employment opportunities, especially outside the metropolitan area.” – His Excellency Olivier Jacques, Ambassador of Canada to Guatemala     " Kruger Energy is proud to have successfully completed this project, which perfectly aligned with our goal of contributing to a better planet through sustainable projects that benefit local communities . By 2028, our expansion project will double the capacity of Zacapa Solar and take us all one step further on our renewable energy journey.” – Jean Roy, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Kruger Energy

 

 

"The creation of this park is an achievement that goes beyond numbers and infrastructure. Through international cooperation, concerted efforts, and a clear strategy, we have effectively overcome challenges and generated innovative solutions, positioning Guatemala as a leader in renewable energy. I want to thank our strategic partners in Canada, whose experience and technology have been crucial to the success of this project." - César Augusto Solano Velandia, CEO of the GrandBay Group

 

 

 

About Kruger Energy

Kruger Energy is a business unit of Kruger Inc. and specializes in the development and management of renewable energy power plants. Kruger Energy manages and operates 47 production facilities across North America, including hydroelectric, wind, solar, energy storage, and biomass cogeneration plants, with a total installed capacity of 650 MW.