Argentina launches consultation as part of 1-GW renewables tedner

Argentina will soon launch a 20-day consultation period as part of its renewable energy auction, with the final rules to be announced in June, an official government release said Tuesday.

Eligible participants will be able to make comments and suggestions during that period.

The country targets an 8% renewable power share by end-2017 and 20% by end-2025. To meet the former goal, it will contract as much as 1,000 MW of renewable power generation capacity through the competition later this summer. Developers will bid for power purchase contracts for up to 20 years at rates per MWh in US dollars.

When compared to neighbours such as Chile and Peru, Argentina has been late in the adoption of renewables support policies and tenders. Energy Minister Juan Jose Aranguren recently said there is a positive aspect to that since the country can now get renewable power at a lower cost, with prices declining due to technology advances in recent years.

The country has identified regions with significant wind and solar potential that have already attracted investor interest. Hundreds of megawatts of wind and solar projects have been announced in recent months, in response to the government's commitment to clean energy.

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