Energy extends Tipitapa Power's generation license for ten years

The Ministry of Energy approved the ten-year extension of the Generation License for the company Tipitapa Power Company, extending the validity of the title until March 31, 2037. The decision is contained in Ministerial Resolution No. 001-DGERR-001-2026, signed on August 28, 2026, and published in La Gaceta, Official Gazette No. 171 on Monday, September 21, 2026, under registration Reg. 2026-00898.

The original license was granted through INE Agreement No. 9-98 on August 21, 1998, and the Generation License Contract signed on May 20, 1999, with the Nicaraguan Institute of Energy (INE), published in La Gaceta, Official Gazette Nos. 84 and 85 on May 5 and 8, 2000. It covers the operation of a thermoelectric plant located adjacent to the substation of the municipality of Tipitapa, department of Managua, with a capacity of 50.9 MW.

The previous validity had been extended until March 31, 2027, by Ministerial Resolution No. 002-DGERR-002-2022 on January 17, 2022, published in La Gaceta, Official Gazette No. 23 on February 4, 2022. The new administrative act is based on Article 78 of Law No. 272, Electricity Industry Law, which allows the holder to obtain an extension for a period equal to the one initially granted, and Article 131 of Decree No. 42-98, Regulations of the Electricity Industry Law.

Company Request and Favorable Opinion

The request was submitted on March 11, 2026, via communication reference TPC-GCMS-2026-03-008, for an additional period of ten years. Martín Shaffer Pichardo acted as the legal representative, accredited by Public Deed Testimony Number Sixty-Seven (67) “General Power of Attorney” and Public Deed Testimony Number Eighty-Five (85) “Clarification of General Power of Attorney,” registered under registration account MC-9A363YF in the Public Registry of Real Estate and Mercantile Property of the department of Masaya.

The Ministry of Energy, through the General Directorate of Electricity and Renewable Resources, issued a Positive Opinion of the request on July 31, 2026, considering that the documentation presented conforms to the technical, legal, and financial provisions of the matter and that the company complied with the requirements of Law No. 272, its Regulations, and the Regulations for Electrical Concessions and Licenses.

Deadlines, Payment, and Formalization

The second resolution article establishes obligations for the licensee within ten days following notification:

• Submit in writing your acceptance of the extension.
• Pay the granting fee, equivalent to US$ 165,864.00 (one hundred sixty-five thousand eight hundred sixty-four United States dollars) or its equivalent in córdobas at the official exchange rate at the time of payment.
• Publish the resolution on your own account in La Gaceta, Diario Oficial, under penalty of nullity, in accordance with articles 133 and 134 of Decree No. 42-98.

Once the resolution is published, the Addendum to the Generation License Agreement shall be signed within ten business days. The act was issued by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Energy, Cristofer Bolaños Cuarezma, in exercise of the powers conferred by Law No. 290 and Decree No. 71-98, and based on Presidential Agreement No. 93-2026 of June 25, 2026, published in La Gaceta, Diario Oficial No. 117 of June 29, 2026.

Another extension in the same bulletin

The same issue of La Gaceta publishes Ministerial Resolution No. 002-DGERR-002-2026 (Reg. 2026-00899), which approves an identical ten-year extension in favor of Empresa Energética Corinto Ltd, holder of a license granted by INE Agreement No. 14-98 of December 11, 1998, to operate a 70.5 MW thermoelectric plant in Puerto Corinto, department of Chinandega, also valid until March 31, 2037.

The extension ensures the operational continuity of 50.9 MW of thermal generation in the national electrical system for an additional decade, without the need for a new competitive bidding process. For regulated users, the effect is transferred to the sector’s cost structure and the planning of the country’s electrical supply, while the company remains subject to the acceptance, payment, and publication deadlines set forth in the resolution.

Source: La Gaceta, Diario Oficial No. 171, Monday, September 21, 2026, Ministry of Energy section, p. 9186 (official reference: Reg. 2026-00898).