Energy profile: Honduras
Fuel mix (fossil fuels vs renewables)
In 2024, Honduras generated 44.55% of its electricity from fossil fuels and 55.45% from non-fossil sources. The breakdown was as follows:[1]
- 44.07% other fossil fuels
- 30.45% hydro
- 9.46% solar
- 6.73% bioenergy
- 6.01% wind
- 2.80% geothermal
- 0.48% coal
As of 2024, fossil fuels accounted for 39.08% of Honduras's installed electrical capacity, with non-fossil energy sources making up the remaining 60.92%, as detailed below:[2]
- 39.08% fossil fuels
- 26.69% hydro
- 19.22% solar
- 6.95% wind
- 6.90% bioenergy
- 1.15% geothermal
Roughly half of Honduras's total energy supply comes from imported oil, with the remainder provided by biofuels and other renewables including solar, wind, and hydro.[3]
As recently as 2012, 70% of electricity was sourced from fossil fuels, but renewables' share of the electricity mix has grown, accounting for more than half of total electrical generation in 2020.[4][5]
As of 2021, Honduras continued to work on its 2050 National Energy Plan.[6]
Greenhouse gas emissions targets
Honduras's initial Nationally Determined Contribution called for a 15% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to business as usual between 2015 and 2030.[7][8] Its first NDC update, released in May 2021, raised this target to 16%, with 9% to be supplied by the energy sector.[9]
Government energy agencies
National energy ministry
MIAMBIENTE (Secretaría de Energía, Recursos Naturales, Ambiente y Minas) is responsible for the formulation, coordination, and evaluation of hydrological resources, new energy resources, renewable energy, and energy exploitation & exploration.
DGE (Dirección General de Energía Renovable y Eficiencia Energetica) is responsible for the development and efficient use of renewable energy while operating in harmony with the environment.
Permitting & regulatory agencies
SINAPH (Sistema Nacional de Áreas Protegidas de Honduras) authorizes permits following environmental impact assessments.[10]
The mining sector of Honduras is regulated by INHGEOMIN (Instituto Hondureño de Geología y Minas), which also grants mining licenses.[11]
Electric utilities
ENEE (Empresa Nacional de Energia Electrica) is responsible for electricity production, distribution, and operation of the national electrical grid.[12]
OES (Oficina de Electrificación Social) oversees electrification plans for rural Honduras.[13]
National oil company
Honduras does not have a national oil company.
Energy sector employment data
Extractive industries in Honduras employed 4,090 persons as of 2018.[14]
Electricity usage
Installed capacity
In 2020, Honduras's installed generating capacity was 2938 MW. Fossil fuels accounted for 35.8% of capacity, followed by hydro (28.6%), solar (17.4%), biomass (8.9%), wind (8.0%) and geothermal energy (1.3%).[5]
Production
In 2020, Honduras produced 10,038 GWh of electricity, sourced from a combination of fossil fuels (44.7%), hydro power (26.9%), solar (10.4%), biomass (7.9%), wind (7.0%) and geothermal energy (3.1%).[5]
Demand
In 2017, electricity demand was 1560 MW.[15]
Consumption
Honduras consumed 7.22 billion kWh in 2016.[16]
Coal in Honduras
Honduras does not produce coal and must rely on imports.[17] Hondurans consumed 180,779 tons of coal in 2016, approximately 19,500 cubic feet of coal per capita annually.[18]
Oil & Natural Gas in Honduras
Honduras does not produce oil or gas.[17] The country primarily imports fuel oils, lubricants, gasoline, and other petroleum products from the United States and Mexico.[19] As of 2016, Honduras was consuming 58,000 barrels of oil daily, approximately 0.26 gallons per capita.[20]
Offshore oil projects in Honduras have been explored within the past decade.[21] Gas pipeline projects to move oil and gas from the United States and Mexico into Central America are also under consideration which could include an LNG terminal in Honduras.[22]
Renewable Energy in Honduras
As of mid-2026, Honduras had more than 700 MW of operating solar energy capacity, with another 350 MW of utility-scale solar projects announced.[23] Solar accounted for nearly 19% of installed capacity and more than 9% of generation in 2023.[24]
As of 2026, Honduras had 235 MW of operating wind farms, with another 118 MW in development.[25] Wind farms accounted for 7.5% of installed capacity and 6.5% of generation in 2023.[24]
Honduras is a regional leader in solar energy, with roughly 11% of electricity provided by photovoltaics in 2018 and 2019.[4][26] As of 2016, the country ranked first in Central America for installed solar capacity and third in Latin America behind Chile and Mexico.[4] Honduras aims for 80% of its energy matrix to be from renewables by 2038.[15]
Iron & Steel in Honduras
Honduras is a producer and exporter of iron oxide[27], with plans to become Central America's first exporter of iron pellets in 2021.[28][29] Iron mines in Honduras have been associated with human rights violations and ecological damage.[30][14][31] As recently as 2019, local residents were still resisting an iron oxide mine situated in Montaña de Botaderos National Park sponsored by the US Nucor Corporation.[14] Aceros Alfa is Honduras' leading steelmaker, with a recently upgraded rolling mill in San Pedro Sula.[14][32]
Environmental & social impacts of energy in Honduras
Honduras is very vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including droughts, flooding, storm surges, sea level rise, stronger hurricanes, and crop failure.[33]
At risk territories in Honduras being impacted by extractive industries are continuously monitored by this Geoportal.
References
- ↑ "Yearly Electricity Data". Ember. Retrieved 2026-09-03.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Panorama Energético de América Latina y el Caribe 2025". OLADE. Retrieved 2026-09-04.
- ↑ "IEA Policies and Measures Database © OECD/IEA". IEA. Retrieved 2021-06-04.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Solar energy: The revolution spurring development in Honduras | IDB Invest". idbinvest.org. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Panorama Energético de América Latina y el Caribe 2021". OLADE. November 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Honduras towards the construction of its National Energy Policy 2050". OLADE. 2021-05-26. Retrieved 2021-10-13.
- ↑ "Contribución Prevista y Determinada a Nivel Nacional: INDC-Honduras" (PDF). Gobierno de la República de Honduras. September 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "How climate change affects the Honduran economy | Energy Transition". Energy Transition. 2019-03-07. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
- ↑ "Actualización de la Contribución Nacional Determinada de Honduras" (PDF). Gobierno de la República de Honduras. May 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Sistema Nacional de Áreas Protegidas y Vida Silvestre de Honduras (SINAPH)". MOCAPH. March 14, 2012.
- ↑ "2014 Honduras EITI Report". Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. October 31, 2016.
- ↑ "Honduras Energy Situation - energypedia.info". energypedia.info. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
- ↑ Super User. "Electrificacion Rural". www.enee.hn (in español). Retrieved 2021-05-18.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 "The hidden connection between a U.S. steel company and the controversial Los Pinares mine in Honduras - IWMF". Retrieved 2021-05-18.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Session IV: Accelerating Renewables Deployment in Regional Electricity Market in Honduras" (PDF). IRENA. May 23, 2018.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Honduras Energy Profile". www.indexmundi.com. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 "International - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)". www.eia.gov. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
- ↑ "Honduras Coal Reserves and Consumption Statistics - Worldometer". www.worldometers.info. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
- ↑ iContainers (2020-03-30). "Honduras´ main exports and imports | iContainers". iContainers. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
- ↑ "Honduras Oil Reserves, Production and Consumption Statistics - Worldometer". www.worldometers.info. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
- ↑ "BG offered exploration concession offshore Honduras". Offshore Magazine. May 2, 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador envision gas pipeline to bolster economic development". S&P Global Platts. May 20, 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Global Solar Power Tracker". Global Energy Monitor. Retrieved 2026-09-02.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 24.0 24.1 Panorama Energético de América Latina y el Caribe 2024, OLADE, 2024.
- ↑ "Global Wind Power Tracker". Global Energy Monitor. Retrieved 2026-09-01.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Panorama Energético de América Latina y el Caribe 2020". OLADE. November 27, 2020.
- ↑ "Mina hondureña comienza a exportar óxido de hierro". Central America Data. September 27, 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Planta de óxido de hierro abrirá nuevos mercados al sector minero hondureño". Diario La Prensa. February 27, 2020.
- ↑ "Invertirán 120 millones de dólares en procesadora oxido de hierro en Honduras". Swissinfo. March 18, 2021.
- ↑ "Impacto socioambiental de la minería en la región noroccidental de Honduras a la luz de tres estudios de casos: Montaña de Botaderos (Aguán), Nueva Esperanza (Atlántida) y Locomapa (Yoro)" (PDF). Equipo de Reflexión, Investigación y Comunicación en coordinación con el Colegio para la Salud Pública y la Justicia Social de la Universidad de Saint Louis Missouri. June 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "No Holiday for Honduran Anti-Mining Activists Fighting for Freedom - Inequality.org". Inequality.org. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
- ↑ "Successful startup at Aceros Alfa - Russula". Russula. November 3, 2016.
- ↑ "Central America's choice: Pray for rain or migrate". NBC News. July 9, 2019.
