This Wednesday, March 23, news was expected on the rate that will govern Itaipu this year, however, the negotiations are at a standstill and the reports provided yesterday to the Senate are summarized as the same as for months: Brazil remains in the reduction, Paraguay in freezing, but there is no agreement.
The Paraguayan director of Itaipu, Manuel María Cáceres, and the president of ANDE, Félix Sosa, reported yesterday to the National Commission for the Study and Monitoring of the Negotiations of the Revision of Annex C, the latest “news” on the tariff.
Cáceres reiterated what was known: this year’s budget bases were not approved, without which, the 2022 rate cannot be set.
He recalled that Paraguay established a position to maintain the rate at USD 22.60 Kw/h per month, while Brazil plans to reduce it to USD 18.95 KW7h per month, based on the application of Annex C, which contemplates this reduction due to the fall in debt, that in this 2022 decreases 600 million dollars.
However, there are commitments assumed and approved by the Board of Directors, among them, electrical infrastructure works in favor of ANDE, worth 140 million dollars.
“All negotiations have to go through the fulfillment of the commitments made in the Council,” said Cáceres, emphasizing that the rate that governs this year must guarantee the financing of these projects.
While a quarter of 2022 is already over, Eletrobras pays what it thinks is fair, that is, USD 18.95 km/h per month and ANDE maintains the last fixed rate, which is USD 22.60 Kw/h per month.
As the Paraguayan director clarified, what Brazil pays today is an amount “on account of”, that is, once the budget bases have been agreed, it must be compensated for more or less, depending on the definition of the rate.
For his part, the president of ANDE, Félix Sosa, reported that in an effort to maintain the rate, new concepts were sought, including the approval of a financial contribution to the Paraguayan electricity sector through ANDE, worth 203 million dollars, to be executed in five years.
In 2021, 20 million dollars have already been received, this year another 40 million are expected and another 100 million dollars have been approved since last May.
“We are waiting for the definition of the rate so that these amounts have financing and we are looking everywhere,” he said.
As part of the plan so that Paraguay can use its energy, Sosa assures that from this entity they accelerated the infrastructure works, among them, the Yguazú Substation of 500 Kv, which is 55% complete.
In addition, the 500 Kv double circuit line, which runs from the Hydroelectric Power Plant to the future Yguazú Substation, which has a completion date set for March 2023, but could be brought forward to December 2022, so that our country has the capacity to withdraw the energy that corresponds to it.
Likewise, a request for a loan of USD 155 million was sent to the Senate for the construction of the 500 Kv Line that will begin in Yguazú and go to Valenzuela.
On the other hand, the IDB approved USD 260 million for the construction of the second 500 Kv Line from Itaipu to Villa Hayes, all of this aimed at the use of energy.
Likewise, a memorandum of understanding was signed with four multinationals for the production of green hydrogen, for 1,250 megawatts of power, equivalent to two Itaipu turbines.
