Argentina has announced the winners of the RenovAr Ronda 1 renewable energy tender, which offered power purchase agreements (PPAs) for 1 GW of renewable power projects, including 600 MW of wind, 300 MW of solar, 65 MW of biomass, 15 MW of biogas and 20 MW of small hydropower capacity.
123 bids were submitted, for a total capacity of 6,346 MW: the wind capacity was nearly six-times oversubscribed (3,469 MW), while the solar capacity was 9-times oversubscribed (2,813 MW). 17 projects representing 1,109 MW were adjudicated: 12 wind projects (708 MW) in the Buenos Aires, Chubut, Río Negro, Santa Cruz, Neuquén, and La Rioja provinces, 4 solar projects (400 MW in the Salta and Jujuy provinces) and one 1 MW biogas project in the Santa Fe province. The average price was US$59.4/MWh for wind (from US$49.1/MWh to US$67.2/MWh), US$59.7/MWh for solar and US$118/MWh for biogas. Jemse won three of the four 100 MW solar projects (fourth project awarded to Fieldfare-Isolux), while Envision won four wind projects (185 MW).
Companies having qualified in the first round but failed to win a contract will be allowed to take part in another renewable energy tender, RenovAr Ronda 1.5, by 11 November 2016 (winners announced two weeks later). In addition, a second renewable energy tender, RenovAr Ronda 2, is expected to be launched in March or April 2017. Argentina estimates that 20 GW of new capacities will be required over the next decade, corresponding to a total investment of US$36bn in power generation and transmission projects. Nearly half of this amount (US$15bn) will be directed to renewable projects, with the rest being invested in hydropower dams (US$10bn), thermal power plants (US$4bn), nuclear (US$2bn) and power transmission (US$5bn).
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