Peru legislators dust off large-scale hydro project

Peru parliamentary group Alianza para el Progreso has introduced a bill to congress to declare of public interest a large-scale hydroelectric project in the central coast and highland region of Áncash.

According to preliminary studies cited by the lawmakers, installed capacity of the Laguna Ángel Cruz hydro would total just above 790MW.

An artificial lagoon would supply water to five power plants after which the hydro resource would irrigate some 190,000ha of new land in the desert area.

The legislators also envision that electricity production would support the installation of desalination plants to boost water supply for agriculture and human use.

“The lack of surface water is tried to be supplied on the coast with artesian wells whose extraction is very expensive,” according to the authors of the bill, available here.

The lawmakers argue that surplus power could be exported and have called on authorities to include the project in investment promotion agency ProInversión’s portfolio.

In 2009, BNamericas reported that congress’ energy and mines committee approved a bill introduced by the Apra party to declare of national interest a 2.07GW hydro project also known as Laguna Angel Cruz. This initiative never went beyond the committee level.