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Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Today's News Headlines
* Hidrotoapi launches bidding for 253MW Toachi-Pilatón hydro - Ecuador
* IDB board to gather before Cancún meeting to fine-tune capital increase - Regional
* Roundup: Transmission tender, energy road show, subsidies, new officials - Regional
* Committee to submit energy policy in 90 days - El Salvador
* CFE awards contracts worth US$671mn for coal supply - Mexico
* CFE awards US$44mn contract for Manzanillo transmission network - Mexico
* CFE awards Sonora transmission tender, voids Guerrero, Edomex tender - Mexico
* CFE transmission tender draws 6 as of final project meeting - Mexico
* Eletronorte blames blackout on grid failure - Brazil
* Jouktai wind park gains environmental approval - Colombia
* Province to invest US$26mn in distribution network - Argentina
* Project details for Tintaya-Socabaya, Talara-Piura lines available - Peru
* ProInversión to retool Chilca-Marcona-Caravelí line concession - Peru
* UNOPS relaunches Alto Piura works tender - Peru
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* Hidrotoapi launches bidding for 253MW Toachi-Pilatón hydro - Ecuador
Ecuador's Pichincha province power utility Hidrotoapi has issued a call for bids for the civil works of the Toachi-Pilatón hydroelectric project, company director Byron Granda told BNamericas.
The project site is roughly 80km from capital Quito. Components include the 49MW Sarapullo plant and 204MW Alluriquín plant that will use Francis type turbines.
The reference price is US$245mn and the winner will have 1,340 days to complete works.
Inquiries will be accepted through February 12 and offers on March 16, with a decision due in April. The participation fee is US$1,000.
Ecuador's energy and hydrocarbons investment fund Feiseh will help finance the project.
By David Casallas
Business News Americas
* IDB board to gather before Cancún meeting to fine-tune capital increase - Regional
The Inter-American Development Bank's (IDB) board of governors will gather before the bank's annual meeting in Cancún, Mexico at the end of March to fine-tune the details of a proposal for its ninth capital increase as well as the institutional strategy and results, Susana Sitja, senior modernization of the state specialist at IDB's office of strategic planning and development effectiveness, told BNamericas.
Last March the board of governors - IDB's top policymaking body, where all member countries are represented - called for an assessment of the need to add resources to the bank's ordinary capital and the fund for special operations, its source for concessional lending to the region's poorest countries. The capital increase is expected to come close to US$175bn, or more than double the bank's existing capacity.
Last week, IDB completed what it described as a far-reaching public consultation related to its proposed capital increase, a process that began on September 8 last year.
About 500 civil society organizations in the Americas and Europe participated in the consultation process. During the period, management met with organizations in the US, Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean, and conducted face-to-face meetings in seven countries.
"The public consultation focused on three aspects: the bank's institutional strategy, the institution's comparative advantages and the IDB's agenda to become a more effective and efficient institution," Sitja said.
Civil society organizations provided suggestions ranging from increased support for the private sector to greater emphasis on urban development, community participation in projects and an expansion of poverty alleviation programs.
"Suggestions and comments made by the civil society regarding the bank's capital increase through eleven public consultations and the bank's website are being systematized in a document that will be sent to the board of executives and the board of governors, so that they [serve as] material for their discussions about the final structure of the capital increase," she said.
IDB hired a non-profit firm with vast experience in dialogue and consultation processes to handle the information. The bank's management has already taken several comments made by the civil society about poverty and inequality reduction, climate change and renewable energy in its institutional strategy that is proposed among the ninth capital increase, she said.
By Jorge Porter
Business News Americas
* Roundup: Transmission tender, energy road show, subsidies, new officials - Regional
Panama's state transmission company Etesa has issued an international call for bids to build lines Santa Rica-Chagres (21.5km, 115kV) and Chagres-Panamá II (28.5km, 230kV).
The projects' combined reference price is US$7.3mn and will be financed by IDB, according to bidding information. A meeting will be held February 23 with offers due March 16.
The lines fall under phase two of the Colón transmission project.
***
The US Trade & Development Agency announced it will hold six orientation visits from January 30 through February 6 to familiarize Latin American and Caribbean energy sector officials and project sponsors with US clean energy technologies.
Each visit will include meetings with US industry, financial institutions and US government agencies. The visits are part of the agency's Clean Energy Exchange Program for the Americas.
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Panama's national economic council (CENA) authorized the economy and finance ministry to transfer US$32mn to Etesa to mitigate the impact of higher bunker fuel prices on power generation.
The measure will benefit 90% of the population that consumes less than 500kV/month, the ministry said in a statement.
***
And Bolivia's hydrocarbons and energy minister Óscar Coca appointed Rosalio Tinta Cruz as the new power and alternative energies deputy minister, replacing Miguel Yagüe; while Germán Fatecha took over from Sixto Amarilla as head of Paraguay's state power company Ande.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Committee to submit energy policy in 90 days - El Salvador
El Salvador's new national energy council is due to submit a national energy policy to President Mauricio Funes in 90 days, the economy ministry reported.
The news followed the swearing in by Funes of the council's consultative committee, made up of representatives from industry and commerce, engineer associations, universities, consumer rights groups, environmental NGOs and power sector unions.
The council's board includes economy minister Héctor Dada, presidential technical secretary Alex Segovia and public works minister Gerson Martínez.
Energy policy is the basic pillar of economic development which is why this sector is being given greater autonomy to improve prices and competitiveness, according to the head of state.
Priorities include completion of the 65.7MW Chaparral hydro project, expansion of the 5 de Noviembre hydroelectric dam and other hydro projects no greater than 20MW, said Funes.
He added that although the 261MW El Cimarrón hydro project has not been ruled out, the current design has been discarded as it does not take into consideration "very relevant" environmental and social aspects.
Funes' energy policy planning thrust aims to reduce dependence on thermo plants.
Indeed, in 2009, thermo generation accounted for 45% of output, according to El Salvador's wholesale market administrator Unidad de Transacciones.
Specifically, 2.52TWh of thermo power were injected into the country's grid, followed by hydro (1.5TWh), geothermal (1.42TWh) and imports (159GWh).
State power company CEL injected the bulk of power last year with 1.5TWh, followed by geothermal company LaGeo (1.42TWh) and thermo generator Duke Energy International (746GWh).
The average price of power in December 2009 was US$132.46/MWh compared to US$142.34/MWh in the year-ago month.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* CFE awards contracts worth US$671mn for coal supply - Mexico
Mexico's state power company CFE has awarded four contracts worth a combined 8.50bn pesos (US$671mn) for the supply of 6.24Mt of steam coal in 2010-12, according to federal procurement website Compranet.
Singapore-based Noble Resources won two contracts to supply 2.6Mt and 2.21Mt of coal with its offers of 3.44bn pesos and 2.96bn pesos, respectively.
The coal provided by Noble must have a minimum 6,200 kcal/kg caloric content.
Germany-based RWE Supply & Trading GMBH won the contract to supply 1.17Mt coal with a minimum 5,900kcal/kg. The company submitted an offer of 1.69bn pesos.
Finally, local firm Soluciones Petronavales won the contract to supply 260,000t coal with a minimum 6,300kcal/kg. The company bid 418mn pesos.
The tender number was 18164067-050-09.
CFE awarded supply of a total 11.7Mt coal last April to the same three firms as well as two other companies at a combined cost of 13.5bn pesos (US$1.06bn), according to Compranet.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* CFE awards US$44mn contract for Manzanillo transmission network - Mexico
Mexican state power company CFE has awarded the contract for a transmission network associated with two generation units of its 1.2GW Manzanillo I plant in Colima state, according to Compranet.
Siemens Innovaciones won the tender with its US$44.3mn bid.
The works also include a 400kV/230kV substation and 17 high-voltage feeders.
Works are scheduled to begin January 28 and will now run 600 days.
The tender number is 18164093-034-09.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* CFE awards Sonora transmission tender, voids Guerrero, Edomex tender - Mexico
Mexican state power company CFE has awarded the contract for transmission works in Sonora state to local firm Control y Montajes Industriales (CYMI), according to federal procurement website Compranet.
Works include one 115kV transmission line running 11.6km, two 115kV/13.8kV distribution substations, and 12 high and medium-voltage feeders.
The company won the tender with its bid of US$8.90mn.
Works are scheduled to begin on February 15 and run 360 days.
The tender number is 18164093-029-09.
***
CFE also declared void the international tender for two 115kV transmission lines and three 115kV substations in Guerrero and México (Edomex) states, according to Compranet.
The transmission lines would have run a total 151km. The tender also included four feeders.
Works had been scheduled to start January 14 and run 450 days.
The tender number was 18164093-035-09.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* CFE transmission tender draws 6 as of final project meeting - Mexico
Six firms had purchased bidding rules for the international tender launched by Mexico's state power company CFE for transmission works in Oaxaca, Veracruz and Puebla states as of the first and final project meeting, according to federal procurement website Compranet.
The tender entails 11 transmission lines with 400kV and 115kV capacities stretching a total 183km, seven substations and 18 feeders.
The companies that had purchased bidding rules were: Serintra, Siemens Innovaciones, Prolec GE Internacional, Abengoa México, Elecnor, and Industrias IEM. Bids are due January 27.
Works are scheduled to begin on March 16 and run 520 days.
The tender number is 18164093-044-09.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Eletronorte blames blackout on grid failure - Brazil
Brazilian state-run utility Eletronorte blamed a January 8 blackout that left the northern states of Acre and Rondônia in the dark on a failure in a transmission protection system.
In a statement, Eletronorte said the system that regulates the power load on transmission lines malfunctioned causing a grid overload and subsequent blackout.
Eletronorte said its engineers are now studying the protection system for more information on the failure.
According to the company, the power outage lasted more than five hours.
A massive blackout on November 10 left millions in 18 Brazilian states in the dark. Government specialists believe this blackout was caused by bad weather that caused a failure on Itaipu hydro transmission lines.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Jouktai wind park gains environmental approval - Colombia
The 31MW Jouktai wind park set for Cabo de la Vela in Colombia's La Guajira department being developed by a JV between state generator Isagen and local firm Wayuu has been granted an environmental permit, according to a letter filed with Colombia's securities regulator.
The wind park will see investments of US$60mn, according to the letter.
The number of turbines used will depend on market conditions, and the plant could see capacity increase.
The project will be eligible for the UN's clean development mechanism, with a portion of the funds from CO2 credits to be redirected to the community.
The wind park is in the final phase of studies, and construction dates have not been established, according to the letter.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Province to invest US$26mn in distribution network - Argentina
Argentina's Corrientes province will invest 100mn pesos (US$26.3mn) in its power distribution network, the provincial press office said in a statement.
"The governor has made the decision to invest 100mn pesos in distribution centers and medium voltage transmission lines," provincial energy undersecretary Marcelo Gatti said in the statement.
Funds will also be directed towards the repair and maintenance of existing transmission lines, Gatti added.
The investments will help meet increasing power demand in the province which has grown 45% in the last 10 years, according to the statement.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Project details for Tintaya-Socabaya, Talara-Piura lines available - Peru
Peru's state agency for promoting private investment ProInversión has published specifications for 220kV transmission line projects Tintaya-Socabaya and Talara-Piura.
The agency in November issued a call for the 30-year concession to build and operate the lines.
Tintaya-Socabaya will stretch 207km and includes the construction of the Tintaya Nueva substations and expansion of existing substations Tintaya and Socabaya, according to a ProInversión document.
Talara-Piura will run 102km and entails the expansion of substations Talara and Piura.
The first line will move hydro and thermo power generated in Cuzco and Puno, while the second will reinforce supply between Talara and Piura in the north. Estimated investment has been pegged at US$50mn and US$22mn, respectively.
Potential bidders have until February 19 to pay a US$2,000 participation fee, with qualification requests due by February 26 and qualifiers announced on March 10. Offers will be due and contracts awarded in April.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* ProInversión to retool Chilca-Marcona-Caravelí line concession - Peru
Peru's state agency for promoting private investment ProInversión has suspended the bidding process for the Chilca-Marcona-Caravelí transmission concession project.
The tender was put on hold as it is more technically feasible for the line to run to Montalvo substation instead of Caravelí, according to the agency, which did not provide a new timetable.
Four groups qualified for the original call: Transcobel, ISA, Abengoa and Kepco. Potential bidders had to demonstrate that they operate transmission lines of no less than 1,000km with tensions equal to or greater than 220kV.
The 500kV project aims to reinforce the interconnection between the center and south of the country. The 30-year concession entails the design, finance and construction of the line and associated substations.
Under the original plan, estimated investment was US$300mn and works scheduled to take 30 months.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* UNOPS relaunches Alto Piura works tender - Peru
The UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) has issued a new call for bids to carry out works of Peru's Alto Piura multipurpose hydro project.
The hydroelectric component consists of two 150MW plants, and the idea is for the private sector to operate the power generation component under a concession.
The works entail construction of the Tronera Sur dam and a 13km tunnel which will transport water from the Huancabamba river to the Piura basin. Offers are due February 15.
UNOPS recommended the original tender not be awarded as offers submitted by China International Water and Energy and Consorcio Alto Piura (Andrade Gutierrez and Camargo Corrêa) did not meet bidding rule requirements, BNamericas reported previously.
Consorcio Energoprojet-Tipsa-Lamehyer has already been awarded the works supervision contract.
Irrigation improvements will benefit 31,000ha of existing land and 19,000ha of new areas.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
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In-deph interview
* Latin America still full of opportunities
Pablo Moysam
Corporate commercial manager
Santos CMI
Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Regional
http://www.bnamericas.com/interviews/electricpower/Pablo_Moysam_,Santos_CMI,/170505124
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Main companies covered in today's news
* Duke Energy Corporation
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/Duke_Energy_Corporation-Duke_Energy/170505124
* Comisión Federal de Electricidad
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/Comision_Federal_de_Electricidad-CFE/170505124
* LAGEO S.A. de C.V.
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/LAGEO_S,A,_de_C,V,-LaGeo/170505124
* Isagen S.A. E.S.P.
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/Isagen_S,A,_E,S,P,-Isagen/170505124
* Camargo Corrêa S.A.
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/Camargo_Correa_S,A,-Camargo_Correa/170505124
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