This Monday the government delivered, following a court request, the information requested by the Movement for a Sustainable Uruguay (Movus) on the details of the agreement with the company regarding the installation of the plant, an investment that would exceed 6 billion dollars, becoming the largest ever to reach the country.
However, the specifications were not as expected by the association, as most of the information was covered by black lines, while the latest update of the agreement was not provided. “Despite the court ruling, the Executive power did not provide the information in the memorandum signed with HIF Global on February 28 or its Annex,” its spokesman published, Raul Vinesin social networks.
The association pointed out that the lack of interest on the part of the government in providing details of the feasibility study of the project suggests that there are certain agreements that they want to hide, mainly those related to environmental issues. Thus, the movement assured that they would take the denial of information to the next judicial level.
Questions from the Ministry of the Environment
Not only environmental movements show reservations about the hermetic agreement, but the Ministry of Robert Bouvier is analyzing the consequences that the installation of the plant could have. green hydrogen in the department of Paysandú.
From the Strategic Environmental Assessment Department (DEAE) They prepared a report on the possible effects that its installation would have, as well as the necessary energy sources, for example, a wind farm and a solar farm, taking into account that these would be the main sources.
The construction would occupy a total of 440 hectares in the city of Paysandú and would be located about 14 kilometers away, very close to a port on the Uruguay Riveras well as a railway terminal, greatly favoring the logistics of the project.
However, its location is also in the vicinity of the Queguay Grande Island, an area where there is a presence of riparian forest, elements that are environmentally relevant in an area considered as natural rural. This area is of great interest to the Environment portfolio as it is very close to the National System of Protected Areas (SNAP).
The “secrecy” of the government
Earlier this year, the political arc entered into debate regarding the confidentiality of the memorandum signed between the Executive power and HIF Global. The Colorado deputy, Ope Pasquet, He was one of the critics on the matter. “I don’t know the memorandum, nobody knows it, except the members of the government,” he complained.
In this regard, he recalled other government agreements with companies where little was known about their details. “It is good for the Uruguay that these possibilities exist, but we must avoid this giving rise to another contract negotiated in secret as has happened so many times in recent years such as the contract of Mountains of the Plata either UPM 2″, he questioned.
“I think it is not good that these important issues are kept secret. Many times these contracts impose obligations on the country that last for many years and it is not good that all this is ignored by public opinion and the Parliament“, he added.
Faced with this, the mayor of Paysandú, Nicholas Oliveradefended the agreement and assured that “there was nothing to hide” and that what could not be shown was the feasibility study carried out by the company, the document that was delivered this week with most of its information hidden. “If the company invested in taking a step further based on that economic feasibility, making the company’s numbers honest does not seem sensible,” he commented then.
Omar Paganini, Hif Global Firma.jpg
HIF Global’s hopes
Meanwhile, the authorities of the Chilean company continue with intentions of making the project official and beginning the construction of the plant as soon as possible. green hydrogen. Hopes were delayed due to the need to recategorize two territorial registers in the municipality, necessary to begin construction.
Two months ago, the department assured that the plant’s authorization was far from being approved since it had to comply with all the corresponding procedures before the Ministry of Environment, agreed upon in law 18.308 (article 21 bis) of Territorial Planning and Sustainable Development.
“We are far from the Mayor’s Office having approved the project of HIF Global, Although we are working in an agile manner, complying with everything established by the regulations, which also includes other organizations,” said the general secretary of the Municipality of Paysandú, Fermin Farinha, at the end of May.
From this, the company accelerated the necessary documentation and presented the Complementary Integrated Action Programme (PAIC) and with it, three reports: the Information Report, of Planning and the Strategic Environmental Report, necessary to be able to move forward with the approval of the start of work.
On the other hand, the general manager of HIF, Clara Bowmanduring the World Energy Congress, He assured that the project is progressing steadily, although they are still analyzing the specific buyers of the fuel that will be manufactured in the country.
Source: Ambito
