Peru’s Cálidda looks to top 2mn gas connections this year

Peru’s principal natural gas distributor Cálidda, which serves Lima and Callao, expects to reach 2-2.1mn connections in 2025 from 1.97mn last year.

The increase will come from the addition of 120,000-130,000 connections, company information shows.

The Grupo Energía Bogotá-controlled distributor is also planning to expand its network by 750km. It totaled 18,156km at the end of 2024.

According to Cálidda, its network penetration rate stood at 79% at the end of December.

As of December 31, the concessionaire had 1.97mn clients in the residential and commercial segment, as well as 916 industries, 294 natural gas vehicle (NGV) stations and 35 power generators as customers.

Cálidda’s sales volume last quarter slid 4% year-on-year to 799Mf³/d (million cubic feet per day), which it attributed to greater “extraordinary” demand in 2023 from power producers.

The bulk of gas in 4Q24 went to electricity generators (69%), followed by industrial users (16.5%), NGV (10%) and residential and commercial customers (4%).

NGV offtake experienced the largest growth in 2024, up 9%, underpinned by greater promotion of the cleaner fuel’s use, Cálidda said.

The company also highlights the connection of hospitals to the gas network, with 17 of 34 national hospitals now supplied with gas.