Argentine Interconnection System

Wide area electric power grid of Argentina

500 kV transmission line in Comahue. Unlike in other countries, many power lines with a voltage up to 220 kV are placed on concrete pylons.

The Argentine Interconnection System (Spanish: Sistema Argentino de Interconexión, SADI) is a wide area synchronous grid that links the regional networks of all Argentinian provinces, with the exception of Tierra del Fuego. It is also connected to the power grids of several neighboring countries.[1][2][3][4]

The network is 20,296 kilometres (12,611 mi) long, of which 14,197 kilometres (8,822 mi) represent 500 kV power lines.[5] These power lines are operated by Transener.[6]

## History

[edit]

The interconnection system began by including transmission lines and substations built by AyEE, HIDRONOR and others constructed by private initiative. Those lines primarily linked the generation centers distributed along the country with the major consumption center in the Greater Buenos Aires area.[7]

In 1947, the General Direction of Water and Electric Power was created by presidential decree, with the task of planning, construction and operation of electrical power plants, transmission lines and substations.[8][9][10]

In 1960, Act 15336 (Electric Energy Law) is approved, recognizing a "National Interconnection Network" that would integrate all the country's regional networks. This would change the jurisdiction of those networks from a provincial to a national control. This new national network would be controlled by a new organism to be created, the Federal Council of Electric Power, under the national Energy & Fuel Secretary structure.[11][10]

This new organism would have representatives of the central government as well as the provinces and the City of Buenos Aires, intending to unify criteria and not only satisfy the interests of Buenos Aires.

In 1991, the State Reform law brought privatization for the energy companies, creating a new regulatory framework for the energy and utilities sector. This would be included in the 24065 Act, which created the Wholesale Energy Market and the National Electricity Regulatory Entity (ENRE).[12] It also creates a new public entity to regulate the Interconnection, the National Cargoes Dispatch (DNDC), which would incorporate in 1002 in the form of a sociedad anónima (a private corporation) with the name Compañía Administradora del Mercado Mayorista Eléctrico Sociedad Anónima (CAMMESA).[13]

## Main figures

[edit]

According to the 2019 annual report by CAMMESA, that year the network showed the following figures:[5]

Energy Demand by Region  Region  | Annual Demand (in GWh)  | Share %

|
|

Greater Buenos Aires | 48,553  | 37.7%
Littoral | 15,638  | 12.1%
Buenos Aires Province | 14,903  | 11.6%
Center (Cordoba and San Luis Provinces) | 11,240  | 8.7%
Northwest  | 10,206  | 7.9%
Northeast  | 9,294  | 7.2%
Cuyo | 8,050  | 6.2%
Patagonia (excl. Río Negro and Neuquén)  | 6,078  | 4.7%
Comahue (La Pampa, Río Negro and Neuquén)  | 4,943  | 3.8%
Total  | 128,905  | 100%
Energy generation by heat source  Heat Source  | Plant Type  | Annual Power (in MW)

|
|

Hydraulic  | Hydropower | 10,812
Fossil fuel  | Combined cycle | 11,245
Natural Gas Turbine  | 7,396
Steam Turbine  | 4,251
Diesel  | 1,653
Nuclear  | Nuclear | 1,755
Renewable Energy  | Wind Power | 1,609
Solar Energy | 439
Renewable hidraulic  | 498
Biogas | 44
Biomass | 2

## International links

[edit]

The system connects to several neighboring countries:

* Argentina–Chile
* Interandes: TermoAndes – Chilgener (from 2001 on, AES TermoAndes)[1][2]
* Paraguay–Argentina
* Carlos Antonio López (Paraguay) – Eldorado (Argentina). 132 kV[14]
* Guarambaré (Paraguay) – Clorinda (Argentina). 220 kV
* Argentina–Uruguay
* Salto Grande Dam (1.890 MW power station)
* Argentina–Brasil
* Paso de los Libres – Uruguaiana (50 MW line)
* Rincón – Garabi – Ita I
* Rincón – Garabi – Ita II

## 2019 Blackout

[edit]

Main article: 2019 Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay blackout

On 16 June 2019, a large-scale power outage struck most of Argentina, all of Uruguay, and parts of Paraguay. It was caused by an operational misbehavior from Transener, a transmission lines operator in Argentina.[15][16]

A short circuit which lowered demand, caused an excess of power generation in the grid, a lack of synchronization of power plants, loss of balance, and a low frequency in the network, triggering massive automatic disconnections from the grid. This caused a blackout that, in a matter of 30 seconds, came to affect 50 million users in the continent.[15]

## External links

[edit]

* Complete map of the Argentinian power grid (SADI)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Oieni, Antonio (11 May 2016). "De exportar a importar". El Tribuno (in Spanish). Salta. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
2. ^ a b "La Argentina y Chile estarán integradas eléctricamente". La Nación (in Spanish). Buenos Aires. 10 December 1997.
3. ^ "Interconexión Eléctrica Regional | UCL". Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
4. ^ "Segunda conexión eléctrica entre la Argentina y Brasil". La Nación (in Spanish). 30 December 1999. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
5. ^ a b "Informe anual 2019" [2019 Annual report]. portalweb.cammesa.com (in Spanish). Compañía Administradora del Mercado Mayorista Eléctrico Sociedad Anónima. 12 June 2020. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
6. ^ "The Argentine Electricity Sector". Pampa Energia. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
7. ^ Gayo, Ricardo J. (August 2009). "Sistema Interconectado Nacional (SIN) en 500 kV" (PDF). Petrotecnia (in Spanish). Argentine Institute of Oil and Gas (IAPG).
8. ^ "Decreto N° 3967/47" [3967/47 decree]. mepriv.mecon.gov.ar (in Spanish). Argentina Executive. 24 February 1947. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
9. ^ "Decreto N° 9932/47" [9932/47 decree]. mepriv.mecon.gov.ar (in Spanish). Argentina Executive. 19 April 1947. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
10. ^ a b Villulla, Carlos Alberto (2012). "Análisis del Sistema Argentino de Interconexión" (PDF). Anales de la Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales (in Spanish). 42. National University of La Plata. ISSN 0075-7411.
11. ^ "LEY 15.336" [15.336 Act]. mepriv.mecon.gov.ar (in Spanish). Argentina Executive. 15 September 1960. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
12. ^ "LEY 24.065 - REGIMEN DE LA ENERGIA ELECTRICA" [24065 Act - Electric energy regime]. mepriv.mecon.gov.ar (in Spanish). Argentina Executive. 16 January 1992. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
13. ^ "Decreto 1192 / 1992" [1192 / 1992 Decree]. Argentina.gob.ar (in Spanish). Argentina Executive. 10 July 1992. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
14. ^ "ANDE restablece venta de energía eléctrica a la República Argentina". ANDE (Paraguay) (in Spanish). 1 November 2018.
15. ^ a b Spaltro, Santiago (4 June 2020). "A un año del apagón, no hubo multas para Transener y otras eléctricas" [A year after the blackout, no fines for Transener and other electric companies]. El Cronista (in Spanish).
16. ^ "REUNIÓN DE LA COMISIÓN DE MINERÍA, ENERGÍA Y COMBUSTIBLES" [Hearing of the mining, energy and fuels commission] (PDF). Argentine Senate (in Spanish). 3 July 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 September 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2020.

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Energy in Argentina

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Topics|

* 2004 energy crisis
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* Argentine Interconnection System
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Nuclear|

* Atucha I
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