Latin America News

Latest news and developments from Latin America region

• Paraguayan ANDE inaugurates works on 220 kV San Ignacio Guazú substation

  May 18, 2021
  Recently, Paraguayan Administracion Nacional de Electricidad (ANDE) inaugurated works on the 220/23 kV San Ignacio Guazú substation valued at USD2.45 million, which aims to provide reliable electricity to approximately 18,500 customers in the districts of San Ignacio and Santa Maria.

• Brazil to generate BRL225 billion from energy tenders in 2021 [free access]

  May 17, 2021
  Brazil’s Ministro de Minas e Energia (MME) or Ministry of Mines and Energy, announced that the electricity power, and oil and gas tenders will be launched in 2021, which are expected to generate around BRL225 billion in investments.

• Chilean CEN moves award of Kimal–Lo Aguirre project to December 2021

  May 12, 2021
  Recently, the Chilean national electricity system coordinator, Coordinador Eléctrico Nacional (CEN), has postponed the award date of the Kimal–Lo Aguirre high voltage direct current (HVDC) project from October 29, 2021 to December 13, 2021, due to the additional time requested by the bidders.

• Chilean private players file objections over transmission expansion plan

  May 11, 2021
  As per a news report, six Chilean private sector players—AES Gener, Enel Green Power (EGP), Transelec, Acenor, Hydrostor and Reliable Energy Engineering Limited (RELE) —have filed objections to the Chilean 2020 transmission expansion plan formulated by the Chilean national energy commission, Comisión Nacional de Energía (CNE), to the expert panel appointed to review these cases.

• Engie Brasil to invest BRL6 billion by 2023 in Brazil

  May 10, 2021
  As per a news report, Engie Brasil plans to invest BRL6 billion by 2023, with majority of the planned capex (BRL3.65 billion) to be spent in 2021, though investments have dropped by 9 per cent in comparison to 2020.

• ISA to explore battery storage opportunities in Brazil and Colombia

  May 10, 2021
  Colombian Interconexión Eléctrica (ISA) has identified battery storage as an essential growth market and has plans to invest USD3.3 billion over the next six years in the same.

• Panama’s ETESA installs five capacitor banks at three 230 kV substations

  May 6, 2021
  Panama’s state-owned electricity transmission company, Empresa de Transmision Electrica (ETESA), has installed five capacitor banks at three 230 kV substations at a cost of about USD10.7 million, with the aim of improving voltage levels, reducing transmission losses and increasing energy transmitted from power plants to the consumption centres in Panama City.

• Peruvian Proinversión awards transmission concession to Celeo Redes

  May 3, 2021
  Peru's investment promotion agency ProInversión awarded a concession for the 138 kV Puerto Maldonado−Iberia line and the 220/60/22.9 kV Valle del Chira substation to Celeo Redes, a subsidiary of Spanish energy and infrastructure group Elecnor.

• Spanish Elecnor wins contract for Tucano wind farm BOP and power lines in Brazil

  April 29, 2021
  Spanish Elecnor has been awarded a EUR44 million contract, for the construction of the 322 MW Tucano wind farm in the Bahía region, from Brazilian company AES Brasil.

• Panama’s ETESA launches tender for developing EIS for Fourth Line project

  April 28, 2021
  Panama’s state-owned electricity transmission company, Empresa de Transmision Electrica (ETESA), has launched a tender for the development of the environmental impact study (EIS) for the Fourth Line project, which will pass through three ecological reserves. The offers for the contract are due on June 16, 2021.

• Ecuadorian CELEC EP to invest USD340 million in El Oro transmission projects

  April 26, 2021
  Recently, Ecuador's state-owned power company, La Empresa Pública Estratégica Corporación Eléctrica del Ecuador (CELEC EP), and state-run energy company Corporacion Nacional de Electricidad (CNEL EP)–El Oro Unit, announced plans to develop new power transmission and distribution projects worth USD340 million in the El Oro province.

• Emgesa launches Colombia's first battery energy storage system

  April 21, 2021
  Colombian power generator Emgesa has initiated operation of the country's first battery energy storage system (BESS) in central Cundinamarca department, valued at USD5.7 million.

• Brazilian ANEEL declares transmission concessionaire of Lot 1 Auction Nº 1/2020

  April 20, 2021
  Brazilian energy regulator, Agência Nacional de Energia Elétrica (ANEEL), has approved Chinese firm State Grid Brazil Holding (SGBH), which is a subsidiary of Chinese government-owned State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), as the new concessionaire of Lot 1 of the transmission auction (Nº 1/2020) that was held in December 2020.

• Ecuador’s Transelectric presents EIA study for 230 kV Cajas transmission system

  April 14, 2021
  Ecuador's state-owned power company, La Empresa Pública Estratégica Corporación Eléctrica del Ecuador (CELEC EP), through its transmission unit Transelectric, presented the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the new 230/69 kV Cajas transmission system, after the public assembly for the same was held on April 10, 2021.

• Paraguayan ANDE plans to invest USD250 million in Chaco by 2030 [free access]

  April 12, 2021
  Paraguayan Administracion Nacional de Electricidad (ANDE) plans to invest USD250.5 million in the country's Chaco region between 2021 and 2030.

• Paraguayan ANDE invites bids for María Auxiliadora substation project [free access]

  April 8, 2021
  Paraguayan Administracion Nacional de Electricidad (ANDE) has invited international competitive bids for the 220 kV María Auxiliadora substation project valued at USD31.1 million, which is being funded by the Corporacion Andina de Fomento (CAF), or the Development Bank of Latin America.

• Chilean SEA gives environmental approval to USD140 million worth 220 kV line

  April 5, 2021
  Chilean Servicio de Evaluación Ambiental (SEA) or Environmental Assessment Service has approved construction of a USD140 million transmission line in the Coquimbo region of the country, where the number of renewable projects are increasing.

• Celeo acquires power assets of Chilean Colbún at EUR1.1 million

  March 31, 2021
  Celeo Redes, a joint venture (JV) between Spanish Elecnor (51 per cent) and Dutch pension fund manager APG Asset Management (49 per cent), has acquired Colbún's electricity grid business in Chile for about EUR1.104 million.

• Panama’s PESIN crosses midway point for projects under construction

  March 30, 2021
  As per the latest update, 66 per cent progress has been made for projects under implementation under Panama’s Plan de Expansión del Sistema Interconectado Nacional (PESIN) 2019-33 or Expansion Plan of the National Interconnected System 2019-33, being developed by the state-owned electricity transmission company, Empresa de Transmision Electrica (ETESA).

• Ecuador’s Transelectric energises 138 kV Pimampiro substation [free access]

  March 30, 2021
  Ecuador's state-owned power company, La Empresa Pública Estratégica Corporación Eléctrica del Ecuador (CELEC EP), through its transmission unit Transelectric, energised the 138 kV Pimampiro substation, which is part of the 230/138 kV Tabacundo (Pimampiro) transmission system.