Argentina priority dispatch capacity auction draws 39 renewables projects

Argentina’s wholesale power market administrator Cammesa received 39 requests in a transmission priority dispatch capacity auction corresponding to 2Q24.

The tally is down from the 48 presented in the previous quarter’s process, but far above the three submitted in the round for 4Q23.

The 2Q24 projects correspond to 3.56GW of installed project capacity once commissioned, and a maximum 3.07GW priority dispatch capacity. Two applications to carry out associated transmission work – permitted under a 2023 rule change – were also submitted.

Of the 2Q24 projects, 13 are wind, the balance solar PV.

Capacity is due to be assigned by August 23, according to information from Cammesa. 

Projects looking to participate in the Mater term market, where large users and distribution companies contract green electricity from generators or traders under corporate power-purchase agreements (PPA), seek priority dispatch capacity.

Argentina’s biggest renewables generator, Genneia, and the market participant with the biggest Mater footprint, YPF Luz, are among the companies that submitted requests. Hydrocarbons industry-linked player Aconcagua is also among the applicants filing projects in the 2Q24 round.

Companies applied for both standard priority dispatch capacity, known as Mater Pleno, and Mater Reference A. Under Mater Reference A, introduced via a 2023 rule change, Cammesa can award priority dispatch on congested transmission corridors to Mater projects, on the understanding that some associated output may be curtailed (8% probability of curtailment). 

Mater has been driving growth of the country’s non-conventional renewables energy park in recent years.

Not all of the 39 projects will secure dispatch capacity, given finite space on what are typically already-congested power lines. 

High-ranking officials in the government have said they prefer a decentralized contract market like Mater rather than large, centralized government supply auctions such as those under the RenovAr program. Officials are reportedly working on a restructuring of the local power market, as commissioned by the national executive branch and preliminarily outlined in a new bill introduced in congress recently.

Argentina's mining sector is seen as a potential large driver of demand for clean power. 

TECH	PROJECT	COMPANY	PROJECT CAPACITY (MW)	PROVINCE	CORRIDOR
PV	P.S. GREEN LUJAN I	ROVELLA ENERGÍA S.A.	100	SAN LUIS	CENTRO
PV	P.S. SHINCAL I	SOLUCIONES ENERGÉTICAS ECOLÓGICAS S.A.	20	CATAMARCA	NOA
PV	P.S. LAS BARRANQUITAS	ENERGY POINT S.A.	10	SAN LUIS	CENTRO
PV	P.S. POCITO	THINKABLE ENERGY S.R.L.	5,03	SAN JUAN	CUYO
PV	P.S. CATAMARCA II	SOLAR ENERGY S.A.	100	CATAMARCA	NOA
PV	P.S. AMPAJANGO II	VIPSA ENERGIA S. A.	20	CATAMARCA	NOA
PV	P.S. EL QUEMADO	LUZ DEL CAMPO S.A.	200	MENDOZA	CUYO
WIND	P.E. LOS AROMOS	YPF ENERGÍA ELÉCTRICA S.A.	168	BUENOS AIRES	PBA Centro-Sur
PV	P.S. GRAL. LEVALLE	LEVALLE SOLAR S.A.	55	CORDOBA	CENTRO
WIND	P.E. CASA YPF LUZ	YPF ENERGÍA ELÉCTRICA S.A.	31	BUENOS AIRES	PBA Centro-Sur
PV	P.S. SAN JUAN SUR	GENNEIA S.A.	90	SAN JUAN	CUYO
PV	P.S. SAN RAFAEL I	GENNEIA S.A.	150	MENDOZA	CUYO
WIND	P.E. EL ESCORIAL	FIDEICOMISO PARQUE EÓLICO EL ESCORIAL	200	CHUBUT	PATAGONIA
PV	P.S. SAN RAFAEL II	GENNEIA S.A.	50	MENDOZA	CUYO
PV	P.S. LOS MOLLES	GENNEIA S.A.	89,6	MENDOZA	CUYO
WIND	P.E. VIDAL	GENNEIA S.A.	100,8	BUENOS AIRES	COSTA ATLÁNTICA
WIND	P.E. HUCALITO I	GENNEIA S.A.	105,4	LA PAMPA	COMAHUE
PV	P.S. ACONCAGUA III	ACONCAGUA E.R. S.A.	25MW	MENDOZA	CUYO
WIND	P.E. PAULINA	RP GLOBAL S.A.S.	145	BUENOS AIRES	PBA Centro-Sur
WIND	P.E. ENERGETICA I - FASE III	ENERGETICA ARGENTINA S.A.	49,5	BUENOS AIRES	PBA Centro-Sur
PV	P.S. LA TOMA	RP GLOBAL S.A.S.	90,2	SAN JUAN	CUYO
PV	P.S. SANTA CLARA II	RPG SANTA CLARA S.A.S.	100	SAN LUIS	CENTRO
PV	P.S. RAIGONES	RPG Raigones S.A.S.	130	LA RIOJA	NOA
PV	P.S. MSU SAN MARTIN I	MSU GREEN ENERGY S. A. U.	330	CATAMARCA	NOA
WIND	P.E. VIENTOS DEL ATLANTICO I	VIENTOS DEL ATLANTICO I S.A.	102,6	BUENOS AIRES	COSTA ATLÁNTICA
PV	P.S. MSU CHOS MALAL	MSU GREEN ENERGY S.A. U.	100	NEUQUEN	COMAHUE
PV	P.S. MSU TUPUNGATO	MSU GREEN ENERGY S.A. U.	100	MENDOZA	CUYO
PV	P.S. SAN CARLOS NORTE	SOLAR CALINGASTA S.A.	115,83	SANTA FE	LITORAL
PV	P.S. CAUCETE	PV LA PERLA S.A.	100	SAN JUAN	CUYO
WIND	P.E. LOS ARROYOS	ENERGÍAS RENOVABLES LOS ARROYOS S.A.	100,8	LA PAMPA	COMAHUE
PV	P.S. LA CUMBRE II - AMPL	Diaser Energía S.A.S.	31,2	SAN LUIS	CENTRO
PV	P.S. SAN MARTIN III	PV LA PERLA S.A.	100	CATAMARCA	NOA
PV	P.S. NUEVA SAN JUAN	PV LA PERLA S.A.	100	SAN JUAN	CUYO
PV	P.S. ER LOS NOGALES	ENERGÍAS RENOVABLES LOS NOGALES S.A.	9,5	SAN LUIS	CENTRO
PV	P.S. ER DE LA ESPERANZA	ENERGIAS RENOVABLES DE LA ESPERANZA S.A.	7,5	SAN LUIS	CENTRO
WIND	P.E. BOREAS DEL NORTE	PARQUES WINDICOS BOREAS DEL NORTE S.A.	92,4	SAN LUIS	CENTRO
WIND	P.E. DEL PLATA	PARQUES EÓLICOS DEL PLATA SA	79,8	BUENOS AIRES	PBA Centro-Sur
WIND	P.E. ENERGIA PURA	PARQUES EÓLICOS ENERGÍA PURA SA	147	RIO NEGRO	COMAHUE
WIND	P.E. ENERGIA PURA	PARQUES EÓLICOS ENERGÍA PURA SA	147	RIO NEGRO	COMAHUE

The list of projects, with additional data, can be seen in the Documents box in the top-right corner.