Top managers and technical specialists of the Honduran Company HONDUPALMA and Guatemalan INDESA met in the offices of the latter on August 25. The objectives of the meeting were to exchange experiences and knowledge and define a joint working plan. During the meeting, both companies signed a technical cooperation agreement to reach such objectives. 

Also during the first meeting participants discussed areas of common interest such as the use of biomass to generate energy, the sustainable management of african palm and Mechanisms of Clean Development, among others.  

Both companies identified specific areas of technical cooperation. This cooperation will take place in both countries through trainings and field visits  in order to implement techniques and knowledge to improve the productive, environmental and social performance of INDESA and HONDUPALMA.  

This visit and the signature of the agreement were facilitated by SNV as part of the project "Competitiveness Program for Sustainable Environmental and Productive Management of a Small Producers Cooperative" . This project has been funded by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID ) and is being implemented by SNV. 

For more information please contact SNV Advisors: Rubén Gallozzi rmgallozzi@snvworld.org and Bella Sosa bsosa001@snvworld.org

SNV in Central America has signed 3 new projects with 3 entities: Acción Internacional, Nicaragua's Educative Forum Eduquemos and UNDP.

In the project with Acción Internacional, SNV will be providing advisory services to the financial institution FAMA, which is a beneficiary of the project “Expansion to Rural Regions of a Micro-Financing System" in Nicaragua, in order to consolidate alliances with key actors in 3 value chains and with the aim of offering their services adapted to the participants in each chain.

With Nicaragua's Educative Forum Eduquemos, SNV will advise in the implementation of the project called “Investing in Human Capital”, an initiative also supported by The Netherlands Embassy planning to encourage more investments in the education sector.

With UNDP, SNV will carry out a study to assess the possibility of developing biogas initiatives in Honduras. The study will help identifying raw materials to produce biogas in different industries and technologies to be applied, defining the uses of biogas, assessing the potential for a carbon market and identifying the financial needs of the industry. 

La Prensa (Nicaraguan Newspaper) publishes an article on the presentation of a study by the Ministry of Energy and Mines and SNV on biofuels. The study reveals that Nicaragua has great potential to explore biofuels and ethanol without jeopardizing food security.

Read online (in Spanish):
http://www.laprensa.com.ni/2010/06/23/nacionales/28848

Download PDF: mm/file/PDFs/Nicaragua%20biocombustibles.pdf

Photo: Lorena Lanza, Vice- Minister of Energy and MInes, © La Prensa.

During the Honduran cultural coffee festival last March, SNV, Café Orgánico Marcala, S. A. (COMSA), the Foundation for Investment and Development of Exports (FIDE) and the Foundation for Rural Enterprise Development (FUNDER) officially launched the first bioethanol plant from coffee waste in Central America. The plant has the capacity to produce 500 litres of ethanol per day and was designed with the technical assistance of EcoEnergy BG using local labour and materials. SNV focuses, through innovative market-based solutions, on improving income and clean energy opportunities for low-income communities.

The launch of the bioethanol plant is part of the Environment Support Programme (PREMACA), which is funded by the DANIDA (Danish International Development Agency). SNV provides technical advisory services to the programme, based on its three pillars: establishing eco-enterprises, sustainable management of natural resources and poverty reduction in Honduras. The main target of this programme is to increase the competitiveness of coffee companies, generating positive economic, social and environmental impacts. The inauguration event was attended by producers, processing professionals, coffee buyers, public ministries and representatives of FIDE, FUNDER, and Ecoenergy BG.

Check the video on SNV's work with Hondupalma, Hondurian company producing palm oil, derivatives and biofuels.
http://www.youtube.com/user/SNVLA?feature=mhw5#p/u/1/K8SKHDr0QqY