Wind Energy

754 MW for wind power in Argentina: Renewable energies public bidding

Argentine´s President Cristina Fernandez announced yesterday the awarding of the public renewable energies bidding. In the announcement she was accompanied by Ministers Julio De Vido (Federal Planning, Public Investment and Services), Florencio Randazzo (Interior) and Amado Boudou (Economy), as well as Mendoza´s and San Juan provinces Governors (Celso Jaque and José Luis Gioja respectively). The announcement was made in the Argentine Women Hall in the Government House.

The awarded projects are as follows: 754 MW for wind energy, 110,4 MW for biofuels, 10,6 MW for small hydro, 20 for solar energy, adding up 895 MW. The additional MW to reach the 1,000 originaly offered for tender will be re-bidded soon.

The winning companies are: Emgasud Renovables S.A., Patagonia Wind Energy S.A., Energías Sustentables S.A., International New Energy, Sogesic S.A., Isolux Corsan Argentina S.A., IMPSA S.A. (wind turbines maker), Nor Aldyl S.A., Centrales Térmicas, Mendoza S.A., SIRJ SRL; Generación Eólica S.A., e IECSA S.A.-Hidrocuyo S.A.. This 12 companies will generate 895 MW in eight provinces.

During her speech, the President explained that in order to select the winning projects (as 1,437 MW were offered for only 1,000 MW bidded, 43% more), they considered basically payment installments and prices, as in any public work, including as well the consideration of the national component, in order to promote national industry.

This 895 MW will be divided in 32 projects, with an investment of 9 thousand millon Argentine pesos, that will generate 7 thousand new jobs.

The President also stated the importance of diversifying the Argentine power-generation sources, in order not to depend so much from gas, not only due to environmental reasons, but as well because "it is not good to depend on only one thing, as an energy single-crop farming".

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