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Argentina’s Federal Energy Council has unanimous given the go-ahead for the development of the stalled 1,310-MW Nestor Kirchner–Jorge Cepernic hydropower complex planned for Santa Cruz River in Argentina.
Argentina’s Energy and Mining Ministry published a new environmental impact study for the hydropower facility after the Supreme Court of Argentina suspended work on the project amidst reports that the federal government did not perform mandatory studies and consultations.
The two dams that comprise the hydropower complex will be located along the Santa Cruz River approximately 80km apart and will represent a total investment of around US$5 billion.
The proposed Nestor Kirchner project is a 75-meter-high concrete-faced rock dam and the completed power house will have a capacity of 950 MW. The Jorge Cepernic dam, named after the former governor of Santa Cruz province, will be 43 meters high and will have an installed capacity of 360 MW.
In late May, Argentina announced that it would directly award the contract for the hydro complex to expedite its completion. Represas Patagonia, a JV between Argentina-based firms Electroingenieria and Hidrocuyo, and China Gezhouba Group is currently developing the project. China has agreed to& undertake the project’s entire financing.
Additionally, Argentina’s Energy and Mining Ministry plans to publish by the end of the year a "critical vision" for 55 hydro projects at different development stages totaling 18 GW of power capacity. The aim is to identify the most attractive projects and define a timeline for their completion.
Besides the above referred Nestor Kirchner–Jorge Cepernic hydropower complex this "critical vision" involves the 641MW Chihuido I dam projected for the Neuquén river and the flagship of Argentina's hydropower portfolio, the 3,500MW Corpus dam proposed for the Paraná river.
We have recently informed about other renewable energy projects in Argentina:
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the IFC Global Infrastructure Fund (GIF), a fund managed by the IFC Asset Management Company (AMC), have invested a combined US$100 million in Orazul Energy Partners LLC, an affiliate of Orazul Energy Holdings LLC, an energy platform in Latin America owned by I Squared Capital.
Read moreTo achieve the target of 20 percent of energy consumption originating from renewable energy in Argentina by 2025, the World Bank Board of Directors has approved a US$480 million guarantee to promote private investment in the sector.
Read moreSpanish firm Generación Solar AR plans to undertake the developmet of a 145 MW photovoltaic project located in the Catamarca Province of Argentina.
Read moreLatin American public and private sector leaders will address countries’ policies and strategies to engage investors and stimulate open discussions. 250 energy developers, financiers and public sector stakeholders are expected to attend the meeting from North America and countries across Latin America.
Read moreArgentina's Ministry of Mines and Energy has signed the contracts with seven developers, for 315 MW of the 1,142 MW awarded in the first round of its renewable energy auction, RenovAr 1.
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