(28 November 2008) The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) is organizing "Geothermal Energy Week" from December 1-5 to inform about this renewable energy source and stimulate cooperation in the development of renewable energy - particularly geothermal energy- among countries and companies.
The week includes two events -one in Santiago, Chile and the other in Lima, Peru - and is part of the last stage of the project "Renewable energy for the endogenous productive development of Andean and Caribbean nations", implemented by ECLAC's Natural Resources and Infrastructure Division, with financial support from the Italian government.
The first is the international conference Situation and perspectives for geothermal energy development in Latin America and the Caribbean, and will take place December 1-2 in ECLAC headquarters in Santiago (Av. Dag Hammarskjöld 3477, Vitacura).
The conference is organized by ECLAC and the Mining Ministry of Chile, and is sponsored by Chile's National Energy Commission. It will be inaugurated on Monday, December 1 at 9 a.m. by Hugo Altomonte, Officer in Charge of ECLAC's Natural Resources and Infrastructure Division; Paolo Casardi, Ambassador of Italy in Chile; and Santiago González, Minister of Mining of Chile.
Following the inauguration, Mr. Altomonte and Chile's Minister of Energy Marcelo Tokman will speak on renewable energies in the region. The second day of the seminar will analyze the Chilean case.
The regional event will be attended by representatives of countries in the region that possess geothermal resources and of countries outside the region with experience in the area, as well as executives from companies specialized in the exploration and exploitation of geothermal resources, and prominent international experts on energy.
The second main event of "Geothermal Energy Week" is a seminar in Lima, Peru on December 4-5, focused on the potential for developing geothermal energy in Peru. The meeting is organized by ECLAC and Peru's Ministry of Energy and Mines.
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