Latin America News

Latest news and developments from Latin America region

• Brazil's Eletronorte signs share purchase agreement for NBTE with Leovac Participacoes

  September 9, 2021
  Brazilian Centrais Elétricas do Norte do Brasil (Eletronorte), a subsidiary of state-run power company Centrais Elétricas Brasileiras SA (Eletrobras), has signed a Comissão de Valores Mobiliários (CVM) or Share Purchase Agreement for Norte Brasil Transmissora de Energia S.A. (NBTE), with Leovac Participacoes SA for BRL700 million.

• IDB Invest provides USD67 million for Cardal Transmission Project in Uruguay

  September 7, 2021
  IDB Invest, a member of IDB Group, has provided a USD67 million financial package for Tealov S.R.L (Tealov), a Uruguayan special purpose company (SPV) sponsored by Invenergy Renewables Global LLC (Invenergy) to develop the Cardal Transmission Project in Uruguay. This financial boost comprises an USD11.5 million loan and a USD55.5 million worth B-bond.

• Hitachi to supply power reactors for 500 kV project in La Guajira, Colombia

  September 6, 2021
  Hitachi ABB Power Grids has received a contract from Colombian Grupo Energía Bogotá’s (GEB), to supply power reactors for the 500 kV Colectora–Cuestecitas–La Loma Transmission Line and Associated Network Project. As per the contract, Hitachi will be involved in the design, manufacture, transportation, installation, training and delivery of the single-phase, 500 kV line reactors for the project in La Guajira.

• Paraguayan ANDE signs contract with SAS Paraguay for 220 kV repowering project

  September 6, 2021
  Paraguayan electric power utility, Administracion Nacional de Electricidad (ANDE), has signed a contract with local power company, Suministros Eléctricos (SAS) Paraguay SA, to supply materials for the repowering of the 220 kV Carayaó–San Estanislao transmission line.

• Ecuadorian Celec drafts plan to improve national power transmission system

  September 6, 2021
  Reportedly, Ecuador's state-owned power company, La Empresa Pública Estratégica Corporación Eléctrica del Ecuador (CELEC EP), is drafting a 10-year digital transformation master plan to improve and strengthen the national power transmission system with the introduction of new technologies, particularly for variable renewable projects.

• Panama’s ETESA to re-evaluate bids to prepare EIS for Fourth Line Transmission Project

  September 6, 2021
  Panama's Dirección General de Contrataciones Públicas or Directorate of Public Procurement has ordered electric transmission network developer, Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica S.A. (ETESA), to carry out a new analysis of all the proposals received to prepare the environmental impact study (EIS) for the Fourth Line Transmission Project. The decision follows the claims filed by consorcio Consultores Ambientales y Multiservicios, S.A. (Camsa) Engimore against ETESA's bid evaluation report for the same.

• ETESA plans to invest PAB335.2 million in Panama’s interconnected power system expansion

  September 6, 2021
  Panama’s state-owned electricity transmission company, Empresa de Transmision Electrica (ETESA), has presented its work plan for the next year to the Comisión de Presupuesto de la Asamblea Nacional de Diputados or the Budget Commission of the National Assembly of Deputies. Under this, ETESA has assured the commission that it will have the resources to continue with the development of the Plan de Expansión de Sistema Interconectado Nacional (PESIN) or Expansion Plan of the National Interconnected System (PESIN).

• Bolivian AETN shares update on 115 kV Tarija–La Angostura–Bermejo Transmission Project

  September 2, 2021
  As per a recent update from the Bolivian Autoridad de Fiscalización de Electricidad y Tecnología Nuclear (AETN) or Electricity and Nuclear Technology Control Authority (AETN), which control and supervise the electricity activities in the country, the 115 kV Tarija–La Angostura–Bermejo Transmission Project is expected to be delayed.

• Ecuadorian Transelectric awards USD26 million transmission projects

  September 2, 2021
  Ecuador's state-owned power company, La Empresa Pública Estratégica Corporación Eléctrica del Ecuador (CELEC EP), through its transmission unit Transelectric, has awarded USD26 million worth of transmission works to various local companies.

• Honduran ENEE invites bids for transmission projects

  August 31, 2021
  The Honduran state-owned Empresa Nacional de Energia Electrica (ENEE) invited bids for various transmission projects in two lots, with an aim to strengthen the electricity infrastructure in the country.

• Paraguayan ANDE borrows USD155 million for 500 kV transmission project

  August 30, 2021
  Paraguayan electric power utility Administracion Nacional de Electricidad (ANDE) has signed a loan agreement of USD155 million with the Inter-American Development Bank (IaDB) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to finance a transmission project.

• Brazilian MME issues decree to ensure electricity savings

  August 26, 2021
  Brazilian Ministério de Minas e Energia or Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) has issued Decree No. 10.779 to direct the local and federal administration to reduce their electricity consumption by 10 per cent to 20 per cent during September 2021 to April 2022.

• Puerto Rico Energy Bureau approves USD1.8 billion worth T&D projects

  August 25, 2021
  The Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (PREB) has approved about USD1.8 billion worth of electric infrastructure projects as part of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority's (PREPA) 10-year Infrastructure Plan.

• Joint working table to review Sabanitas–Panama III project in Panama [free access]

  August 23, 2021
  Panama’s electric transmission network developer Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica S.A. (ETESA) and Madden Colón Concessionaire (CMC), a subsidiary of Brazilian Odebrecht, have established a joint working table with the Office of Special Projects of the Ministry of Power (MoP), for the review of the 230 kV Sabanitas–Panama III Electric Transmission Line and Associated Substations project, for the issuance of the No Objection Certificate prior to the start of civil works.

• Brazil's Eletrobras shows financial improvement during second quarter 2021

  August 16, 2021
  As per the latest update of the Brazilian Ministerio de Minas y Energía or Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), the performance of the state-owned electric power utility, Elétricas Brasileiras S.A. (Eletrobras), is improving with better financial discipline.

• Chilean CEN awards USD202 million worth transmission works [free access]

  August 16, 2021
  Chilean national electricity system coordinator, Coordinador Eléctrico Nacional (CEN), has awarded USD202 million worth of transmission works under the Expansion Works of Decree No. 171/2020, and Exempt Decrees No. 418/2017, No. 293/2018 and No. 198/2019.

• Development of two 500 kV transmission projects may face delay in Peru

  August 16, 2021
  As per the recent update of Peruvian energy and mining investment regulator Osinergmin, two big 500 kV transmission projects are scheduled to be commissioned by end-2021 in the country.

• Brazilian EDP begins construction of BRL60 million substation in Roseira

  August 12, 2021
  Brazilian EDP, a power distributor in Vale do Paraíba, started the construction of a substation in the city of Roseira.

• Chilean FNE approves sale of Colbún Transmisión to Alfa Desarrollo

  August 12, 2021
  The Fiscalía Nacional Económica (FNE) or National Economic Prosecutor's Office of Chile has approved the acquisition of Colbún Transmisión, a subsidiary of Chilean electric power company Colbún, by Alfa Desarrollo, a joint venture (JV) comprised of Dutch pension fund APG and Chilean Celeo Redes.

• Colombian Ecopetrol purchases state’s share in ISA

  August 11, 2021
  Colombian Ministerio de Finanzas or Ministry of Finance has signed an Inter-Administrative Share Purchase Agreement with Colombia-based oil company Empresa Colombiana de Petróleos S.A. (Ecopetrol SA) for the sale of its shares in Colombian power company Interconexión Eléctrica (ISA).