IRENA Opens Renewable Energy Financing for 19 Countries in Central America and the Caribbean

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) opened a call on August 4, 2026 to finance renewable energy projects in 19 countries across Central America and the Caribbean, with priority given to proposals submitted before September 1. The call, reported by pv magazine, covers everything from grid-connected generation to electric mobility, green industrialization, and supply chains.

The call operates through two windows. The Climate Investment Platform (CIP) serves early-stage projects that have moved beyond the conceptual phase and include preliminary or pre-feasibility studies, aligned with national climate priorities and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The Energy Transition Finance Accelerator (ETAF) targets medium and large projects with greater financial maturity, with more than $4 billion committed by its financing and risk-mitigation partners, according to pv magazine. BNamericas reported the announcement on July 31. The 19 eligible countries span from Antigua and Barbuda to Trinidad and Tobago; Mexico does not appear on the list.

Eligible technologies include photovoltaic and solar thermal, onshore and offshore wind, hydropower, geothermal, bioenergy, clean transport, green hydrogen, and sargassum-based generation. For CIP, projects must have moved past the conceptual stage and present preliminary or pre-feasibility studies. For ETAF, private or public-private partnership projects require a minimum investment of $25 million; public-sector projects require $10 million. In both cases, projects must include a feasibility study, grid connection availability where applicable, and power purchase agreements (PPAs). The window also accepts infrastructure associated with generation plants, electric mobility, green industrialization, and renewable supply chains.

Applications are accepted through the CIP and ETAF portals, with the agency prioritizing those submitted before September 1. This round will determine which Central American and Caribbean projects access a pool of more than $4 billion committed by ETAF partners.

This article was written with artificial intelligence assistance from verified sources and reviewed by a human editor before publication.