Argentina power watch: US$1.14bn IDB loan to expand transmission, Genneia solar park

The Argentine government has announced it will rekindle its suspended plan to increase the capacity of the national power transmission grid using a US$1.14bn loan approved by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

The project involves the construction and overhaul of various local transmission lines and substations with the aim of easing the load on Argentina's overburdened national grid. 

Initial roll-out will take place in the provinces of Entre Ríos, La Pampa, Tucumán, Catamarca and Santa Fe.

The works to be carried out will be tendered in the next few weeks, energy ministry sources were reported as saying by local outlet Econojournal.

The works include expanding the capacity of the Crespo-Viale line and building two transformers in Entre Ríos; expanding the General Pico Sur substation in La Pampa; expanding the El Bracho and Villa Quinteros lines and building a new substation in Tucumán; expanding the Catamarca substation in Santa Fe, and expanding the Alumbrera-Belén line and building two substations in Catamarca.

The government also plans to conduct grid expansion works in southern Río Negro and Neuquén provinces through the electricity transport fund (FOTAE).

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Genneia's 78MW Sierras de Ullum solar park is requesting permission to enter Argentina's wholesale electricity market, according to the energy ministry's electric power department.

The project is located in the northern province of San Juan and required an investment of US$60mn. Construction started in late 2021 and it is expected to start operations in December 2022.