March 6, 2015 — When you think of places that rely on geothermal power for energy production, El Salvador probably isn’t the first location that comes to mind. But this tiny Central American country is a geothermal powerhouse.
According to the International Energy Agency, a whopping 22 percent of the electricity used in El Salvador comes from geothermal. The vast reserves of geothermal power buried beneath the country’s volcanoes power hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses.
The video above takes viewers on a behind-the-scenes tour of modern geothermal energy production in El Salvador. Along the way, we meet three energy experts who have trained at the United Nations University Geothermal Training Programme based in Iceland.
This six-month-long postgraduate program focuses on training emerging energy professionals from developing and transitional countries where geothermal power is being developed. Since its inception in 1979, over 700 individuals from around the world have traveled to Iceland to participate.
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