Snapshot: Renewables projects seeking Mater dispatch priority in Argentina

Argentina’s wholesale power market administrator Cammesa will apply a tie-break mechanism to assign dispatch priority to planned renewable energy projects.

Twenty-six projects – looking to join term market Mater – sought capacity in the round. 

But with insufficient transmission capacity available to grant the requested dispatch priority to all the projects, the process will enter a second phase where officials will assign capacity based on the economic bids submitted.

Tie-break results are due to be announced by the end of the month, according to a Cammesa schedule.

In Mater, large commercial users directly contract power from generators. Demand from businesses for electricity from renewable sources is strong in the country. 

Argentina needs to build out transport capacity to allow a major ramp-up of renewables. Amid factors such as restricted access to financing and macroeconomic uncertainty, some existing renewables projects with capacity assigned have stalled.

In parallel, the RenovAr renewable energy auctions – where awarded projects sign power purchase agreements with the state – have been halted.  

Out of Argentina’s total installed capacity of around 43GW, wind parks account for about 3.3GW and solar farms 1GW. Thermoelectric plants account for the biggest share, of about 25GW, and hydroelectric power stations around 10.8GW.

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Twenty-four projects will participate in the tie-break, among them state power company YPF Luz’s Zonda I solar park. Cammesa ruled priority dispatch was unassignable to two.

Cammesa assigned seven projects dispatch priority last half, including 8W to YPF Luz for the 100MW Zonda I one plant, which has entered the construction phase.  

The projects in the tie-break are the following

COMAHUE CORRIDOR

Project: Wind farm Del Alto Valle, 100MW.
Applicant: Parque Eólico Del Alto Valle
Maximum dispatch priority requested: 100MW
Minimum dispatch priority requested: 70.8MW

Project: Wind farm Andinos, 130MW
Applicant: Parque Eólico Andinos
Maximum dispatch priority requested: 130MW
Minimum dispatch priority requested: 100.3MW

Project: Solar park El Alamito, 1.2MW
Applicant: ADI Neuquén
Maximum dispatch priority requested: 1MW
Minimum dispatch priority requested: 1MW

Project: Wind farm Aromos, 168MW
Applicant: YPF Energía Eléctrica
Maximum dispatch priority requested: 168MW
Minimum dispatch priority requested: 30MW

Project: Wind farm Vientos Olavarría, 100.8MW
Applicant: Vientos Olavarría
Maximum dispatch priority requested: 100.8MW
Minimum dispatch priority requested: 46.5MW

Project: Wind farm La Rinconada, 92.4MW.
Applicant: Vientos La Rinconada
Maximum dispatch priority requested: 92.4MW
Minimum dispatch priority requested: 49.2MW

Project: Wind farm Del Plata, 81MW
Applicant: Parque Eólico Del Plata
Maximum dispatch priority requested: 81MW
Minimum dispatch priority requested: 67.5MW

COSTA ATLÁNTICA CORRIDOR

Project: Wind farm Macondo, 139.2MW
Applicant: Sierras del Buendía
Maximum dispatch priority requested: 117.8MW
Minimum dispatch priority requested: 0MW

Project: Wind farm La Elbita, 103.5MW
Applicant: Genneia
Maximum dispatch priority requested: 103.5MW
Minimum dispatch priority requested: 27MW

Project: Wind farm Balcarce, 100.8MW
Applicant: Akuo Energy Argentina
Maximum dispatch priority requested: 100.8MW
Minimum dispatch priority requested: 80MW

Project: Wind farm Vivoratá, 399MW
Applicant: Luz de Tres Picos
Maximum dispatch priority requested: 40.8MW
Minimum dispatch priority requested: 0MW

NOA CORRIDOR

Project: Solar farm 360 Energy La Rioja, 60MW
Applicant: Energías Sustentables
Maximum dispatch priority requested: 60MW
Minimum dispatch priority requested: 20MW

Project: Solar farm Las Lomas, 32.4MW
Applicant: Energías Renovables Las Lomas
Maximum dispatch priority requested: 32.4MW
Minimum dispatch priority requested: 32.4MW

Project: Solar park Raigones, 130MW
Applicant: RPG Raigones
Maximum dispatch priority requested: 130MW
Minimum dispatch priority requested: 30MW

CENTRO CORRIDOR

Project: Solar park San Luis Hive III, 99.4MW
Applicant: San Luis Hive III
Maximum dispatch priority requested: 99.4MW
Minimum dispatch priority requested: 90MW

Project: Solar park La Salvación, 5MW
Applicant: 4Solar
Maximum dispatch priority requested: 5MW
Minimum dispatch priority requested: 1MW

CUYO CORRIDOR

Project: Solar Park Armonía, 28MW
Applicant: Energías Renovables Armonía
Maximum dispatch priority requested: 25MW
Minimum dispatch priority requested: 20MW

Project: Solar park Energías Renovables del Manantial, 16.2MW
Applicant: Energías Renovables del Manantial
Maximum dispatch priority requested: 15MW
Minimum dispatch priority requested: 12MW

Project: Solar park Zonda I, 100MW
Applicant: YPF Energía Eléctrica
Maximum dispatch priority requested: 47MW
Minimum dispatch priority requested: 0MW

Project: Solar park Tocota III, 100MW
Applicant: Genneia
Maximum dispatch priority requested: 100MW
Minimum dispatch priority requested: 14MW

Project: Solar park Cañada Honda IV, 13MW
Applicant: Energías Sustentables
Maximum dispatch priority requested: 8MW
Minimum dispatch priority requested: 5MW

Project: Solar park Pocito, 5.03MW
Applicant: Thinkable Energy
Maximum dispatch priority requested: 5.03MW
Minimum dispatch priority requested: 2.5MW

Project: Solar park Hypersolar Ullum, 70MW
Applicant: Hypersolar
Maximum dispatch priority requested: 6MW
Minimum dispatch priority requested: 0MW

Project: Solar park Sierras de Ullum, 78MW
Applicant: Genneia
Maximum dispatch priority requested: 20MW
Minimum dispatch priority requested: 1MW