Argentina awards 265MW priority dispatch capacity to renewables projects

Two renewables projects for a combined 458MW were awarded 265MW of transmission priority dispatch capacity in an Argentine auction corresponding to 2Q23.

Both projects were assigned the maximum capacity they had sought. Connection points are 132kV and the developers need to make payments by August 17 to secure the capacity. 

Auctions are held by wholesale power market administrator Cammesa to assign capacity to power generation projects targeting the Mater term market.

Mater – where the likes of manufacturers buy power directly from renewables generators – has been driving growth of the country’s installed wind and solar capacity amid an absence of regulated power supply auctions, which have only recently resumed via RenMDI. But a lack of transmission capacity is whipping up Mater headwinds for projects seeking access to the high-voltage network.

The bigger of the two Mater projects proposed is a 300MW solar park, planned for Entre Ríos province by 360 Energy, which is also among the main bidders in RenMDI and a previous recipient of priority dispatch capacity.

Luz de Tres Picos, behind the smaller project and a unit of local industrial firm PCR, also has previously won priority dispatch for several clean energy farms.

The following projects were granted capacity:

Project: La Escondida wind park – 158MW
Applicant: Luz de Tres Picos
Province: Buenos Aires
Transmission corridor: Buenos Aires
Grid interconnection point: 132kV line Chasomús-Verónica
Maximum priority dispatch capacity sought: 90MW
Minimum priority dispatch capacity sought: 48MW
Priority dispatch capacity assigned: 90MW

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Project: PS 360 Energy Colonia Elía solar park – 300MW
Applicant: 360 Energy Solar
Province: Entre Ríos
Transmission corridor: Litoral
Grid interconnection point: 132kV line Colonia Elia
Maximum priority dispatch capacity sought: 175MW
Minimum priority dispatch capacity sought: 175MW
Priority dispatch capacity assigned: 175MW