Studies awarded for US$60mn Peru hydro project

Additional studies are due to be carried out shortly for the US$60mn, 20.9MW Charcani VII hydro project in southern Peru.

Empresa de Generación Eléctrica de Arequipa (Egasa) selected Lima-based P&C Ingenieros Contratistas y Consultores to draft the pre-operational study (EPO).

An EPO is filed with power grid coordinator COES and used to show that a proposed plant and associated transmission infrastructure will not hinder the expansion of the national grid or impact the system’s safe and reliable operation.

The other bidders for the 50-day contract were Ingeniería y Energía INEL and Laub & Quijandria-Consultores y Abogados.

Egasa signed the project’s concession contract in 2019, but advancement has been stymied by what the company says are permitting delays.

The energy and mines ministry approved a force majeure request to modify the timetable, and under a first contract amendment, construction was to have begun in December 2022 and commercial start-up next month.

Charcani VII is planned for Arequipa region and would use water from the Chili river. The project secured environmental approval in 2018.

In another sector development, the ministry scheduled community workshops next month in Ica region prior to the preparation of the semi-detailed environmental study for the 220kV Ica-Poroma transmission concession project.