The President of the Republic, Mario Abdo Benítez, put into operation yesterday the first bank of power transformers in the 500 kV Yguazú Substation of the National Electricity Administration (Ande). As reported, the work will allow our country to have 100% of the energy that corresponds to Itaipu Binacional. Marito stressed that with this, energy will finally translate into benefits for the population, through industries, job creation, and a better quality of life for people.
During the act, the president of Ande, Ing. Félix Sosa, mentioned that this substation will make it possible to fulfill one of the strategic objectives of the National Government, which is to prepare the necessary electrical infrastructure so that Paraguay has 100 percent of the energy that corresponds to it from the Itaipu Binational Entity.
“We must remember that in December 2019 the adaptation of the 500 kV bar in Yacyretá had been made and today we can already withdraw 100 percent of the energy generated in said hydroelectric plant, now we are on the way to energy sovereignty in Itaipu ”, said Sosa, who added that what was done yesterday is a milestone in the process of execution of the work, with a view to strengthening the Paraguayan electrical system. “Today, what is coming into operation is a bank of transformers that is already installed,” he stressed.
He specified that the total investment of the project (substation and double triplet 500 kV line) is approximately US$ 103 million, financed through funds from the Latin American Development Bank (CAF) loan and a component of own funds. from the Andes. He recalled that in 2008 the investment in the system barely reached US$50 million, when, according to him, the state company was going through its worst moment and therefore, the quality of the service fell completely.
But, according to the head of Ande, as of 2009 the service was improved through loans with multilateral organizations. “Since 2020 we are breaking records in terms of investments, in the last three years we reached US$ 300 million annually , a figure that must be maintained and even increased,” he urged.
The construction of the Substation was awarded to the Siemens Rieder Yguazú 500 kV Consortium, through International Public Tender No. 1542/2019 “Construction and Interconnection Project of the Yguazú 500 kV Substation” and the construction of the two transmission lines was awarded to the company CIE SA.
In turn, President Mario Abdo Benítez indicated that they aim for Paraguay to be a country with competitive energy for the installation of more industries, “Today we are taking the first step, but when this work is finished, for the first time we will be able to withdraw 100% of the energy that corresponds to us by Itaipu. This work would culminate at the end of June and it will be a historic date, ”he said.
The Head of State reiterated that this project will leave a great legacy in terms of energy sovereignty. “In our government we made all the electrical service be provided by clean and renewable energy, we are one of the few countries in the world and we still have a great capacity to continue being a leading country in the generation of clean and renewable energy,” he asserted. Likewise, he argued that the world is going to require what Paraguay has left over, therefore, all this energy should promote the development of the country, he added.