Latin America News

Latest news and developments from Latin America region

• Chilean ISA Interchile issues USD1,200 million green bonds to refinance 500 kV project

  July 26, 2021
  Chilean ISA Interchile, a subsidiary of Colombian power company Interconexión Eléctrica (ISA), has made its debut in the international financial market with the issue of its first green project bond for USD1,200 million with a term of 35 years.

• Peruvian MINEM and Puerto Maldonado Transmisora sign concession contracts for two projects

  July 26, 2021
  The Peruvian Ministerio de Energía y Minas (MINEM) and Puerto Maldonado Transmisora de Energía S.A.C. have signed two concession contract for the 138 kV Puerto Maldonado–Iberia transmission line and the 220/60/22.9 kV Valle del Chira substation projects, as well as the security and guarantee contract of the states where these projects will be located, Puerto Maldonado and Piura region.

• Peruvian ProInversión to award 500 kV Piura Nueva–Frontera project in 2022

  July 26, 2021
  Peru's investment promotion agency ProInversión is planning to award the 500 kV Piura Nueva–Frontera Transmission Line project, worth USD163 million and part of the Peru–Ecuador Electric Interconnection, by the first quarter of 2022.

• Mexican SENER publishes PRODESEN 2021-35

  July 26, 2021
  Mexican Secretaría de Energía (SENER) or Ministry of Energy recently published the Programa de Desarrollo del Sistema Eléctrico Nacional (PRODESEN) 2021-35 or the National Electric System Development Plan 2021-35 for the expansion of power generation, transmission and distribution network in the country.

• Mainstream Renewable Power Chile announces 1 GW hybrid generation project with storage capacity

  July 21, 2021
  Mainstream Renewable Power Chile has announced plans for Nazca Renovables—a new, hybrid renewable energy platform with more than 1 GW of capacity along with energy storage capacity.

• Governments of Colombia and Panama sign agreement for interconnection project

  July 21, 2021
  The Ministerio de Minas y Energía or Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) of Colombia and the Secretaría Nacional de Energía or National Secretariat of Energy (SNE) of Panama have signed an agreement for a 500 kV interconnection project between the two countries.

• Mexican IMCO highlights cross-subsidisation of CFE subsidiaries

  July 20, 2021
  According to the Instituto Mexicano para la Competitividad, A.C. or the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness, A.C. (IMCO), state-owned grid developer Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) and its subsidiaries have been indulging in cross-subsidisation practices, which has distorted their financials.

• Brazilian Eletronorte signs debt confession instrument with AmE [free access]

  July 19, 2021
  Brazilian Centrais Elétricas do Norte do Brasil S.A. (Eletronorte), a subsidiary of state-owned power utility Elétricas Brasileiras S.A. (Eletrobras), has signed a Confissão de Dívidas or Debt Confession Instrument (ICD) of BRL808.75 million with Amazonas Energia SA (AmE), aimed at renegotiating the debt held by AmE with Eletronorte.

• Colombian UPME issues draft tender for 230 kV La Paz substation project

  July 19, 2021
  Reportedly, Colombian mining and energy planning unit, Unidad de Planeación Minero Energética (UPME), has published preliminary details of a 230 kV transmission project in the northern department of Arauca.

• Brazilian EPE publishes Part I of Expansion of Regional Interconnections study

  July 15, 2021
  Brazil’s energy agency Empresa de Pesquisa Energética (EPE) has published Part I of the study on "Expansion of Regional Interconnections" for the year 2021.

• Brazilian Government authorises capitalisation of Eletrobras

  July 14, 2021
  The Brazilian Government has enacted Law 14182 on July 12, 2021, which will allow the capitalisation of the state-owned power company, Centrais Elétricas Brasileiras S.A. (Eletrobras).

• Brazilian Neoenergia SA energises 500 kV Santa Luzia II–Campina Grande III line

  July 13, 2021
  Brazilian utility Neoenergia SA has energised the 500 kV Santa Luzia II–Campina Grande III line, which will enable the evacuation of electricity from a 69.3 MW portion of the 471 MW Chafariz wind complex in Paraíba State, Brazil.

• Upgradation of Paraguay Line 1 to be completed by end-August 2021

  July 13, 2021
  According to Entidad Binacional Yacyreta (EBY)—the Paraguayan–Argentine binational firm behind the Yacyreta hydroelectric complex, the upgradation works of the Paraguay Line 1 (LP1) will be completed by end-August 2021.

• Board of Directors of Eletrobras approves sale of NBTE’s stake

  July 12, 2021
  The Board of Directors of Brazilian Eletrobras has approved the sale of its stake in Norte Brasil Transmissora de Energia S.A. (NBTE) for BRL700 million.

• Chilean SAESA acquires Tolchén Transmisión for USD36 million

  July 12, 2021
  Chile-based Grupo SAESA, an electricity utility owned by the Canadian Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board (OTPPB) and Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo), has acquired Tolchén Transmisión—a subsidiary of Spanish Group Acciona—for about USD36 million.

• Paraguayan ANDE receives ten offers for 500 kV Valenzuela substation project

  July 7, 2021
  Paraguayan Administracion Nacional de Electricidad (ANDE) has received ten offers for the construction of the 500 kV Valenzuela substation project, valued at USD103 million, which is being financially supported by the Fondo Financiero Para El Desarrollo De La Cuenca Del Plata (FONPLATA) or Financial Fund for the Development of the River Plate Basin.

• Colombian ISA proposes routes for grid link with Panama

  July 7, 2021
  Interconexión Eléctrica (ISA) has proposed two possible routes for the Colombian section of the Panama–Colombia interconnection project.

• Ecuador's CELEC EP operationalises 138 kV La Paz substation

  July 1, 2021
  Ecuador's state-owned power company, La Empresa Pública Estratégica Corporación Eléctrica del Ecuador (CELEC EP), has energised and put into operation the 138 kV La Paz substation.

• Brazilian ANEEL awards transmission concessions worth BRL1.3 billion

  June 30, 2021
  Brazilian energy regulator, Agência Nacional de Energia Elétrica (ANEEL), has awarded five transmission concessions worth BRL1.3 billion under its Transmission Auction (Nº1/2021), which will add a total of 515 km of transmission lines and 2,600 MVA of transformer capacity.

• 10 companies show interest in Colombian first battery storage tender

  June 29, 2021
  As per a news report, 10 companies have submitted bids for Colombia's first grid-scale battery storage project.