The Minister of Economy, Luis Caputoreceived the new Secretary of Energy of the Nation, Maria del Carmen Tettamantiin his office at the Palacio de Hacienda to make his entry into the national cabinet official, and outline his new functions in replacement of Eduardo Rodríguez Chirillo.
Of the “welcome to the forces of heaven” they also participated Daniel Gonzalezthe new head of the Government’s Energy and Mining, and the advisor and cousin of “Toto” Caputo, Diego Adúriz.
What other functions should Tettamanti face?
The new Secretary of Energy must promote RIGI investments linked to Dead Cow in tune with Daniel Gonzalez, the Secretary of Energy and Mining Coordination, in charge of analyzing and approving the Single Project Vehicles (VPU) presented by private parties. The VPUs are the companies that will be responsible for investments greater than $200 million.
Another of the missions with which it arrives is to enforce the National Promotion Regime for the Use of Renewable Energy Sources for the Production of Electrical Energysanctioned by the Law No. 26,190 and modified and expanded by the Law No. 27,191.
This regulation establishes that starting January 1, 2025 Large companies, industries and businesses that consume more than 300 kW (kilowatts) of electrical power must have a minimum of 20% of renewable energies in its productive matrix.
Finally, Tettamnti must rebuild the new team of the Ministry of Energy. The former CEO of Camuzzi, a Alejandro Macfarlane, has decided to replace the officials who arrived last December, such as Luis De Rider of the Undersecretariat of Hydrocarbons Mariela BeljanskyUndersecretary of Transition and Energy Planning. Changes are also coming in decentralized organizations and in Cammesa.
What is the Government’s plan to avoid power outages in the summer?
The objective of that plan is “avoid, reduce or mitigate the critical condition of energy supply” for the days of greatest energy demand.
He Contingency Plan set in the Resolution 294/2024 It also establishes that all actions will be carried out to obtain the energy imports and competition from neighboring countries during hours of high demand on critical days which CAMMESA (administration company of the wholesale electricity market) will opportunely define and crucially during peak hours.
In turn, it instructs the Undersecretariat of Electrical Energy to implement a comprehensive preventive availability scheme with the ENRE and the High Voltage Transportation Concessionaires and Trunk Distribution and Additional Providers of the Transportation Technical Function (PAFTT), to identify critical overload nodes, to have connection of the reserve transformers when needed.
The ENRE will be obliged to inform the Undersecretariat of Electric Energy within a period of fifteen days those works in progress within the High Voltage network and Trunk Distribution transportation that are making significant progress to create mechanisms that allow it to be put into service in the shortest possible time.
Before leaving office, Riodrpiguez Chirillo asked the distributors Edenor and Edesur the obligation to present a plan called “Contingency Care Program” to reduce or manage any power outages that may occur during the summer.
The foundations of a contingency plan, according to current management, are not only based on a summer that will be hotter, but also on the reduction of the availability of the Yacyretá Hydroelectric Power Plantthe need for the Atucha I Nuclear Power Plant enters the 30-month review period, lower imports from Brazil due to its hydrological situation and lack of investments during previous administrations.
Summer: what requirements does the Government ask of distributors?
What the Ministry of Energy is asking for are basic conditions to guarantee the minimum operation of the service in a context where high temperatures are estimated.
The list is long, but essential. First of all, they require preventive maintenance actions to avoid major failures. Also ensure that the Existing infrastructure operates at maximum capacityincluding enlistment Mobile Generation Units (UGEM), own or contracted and “humans to face contingencies.”
The enumeration continues with a continuously operating call center with “appropriate and sufficient personnel” to respond to queries or complaints, as well as a “proactive” care scheme towards users by public service providers, “with sufficient information” regarding the conditions of the service. Additionally, the report must contain the ex-post sanctions regime for non-compliance of the actions provided for in the terms of the current Concession Contracts.
Who will replace Chirillo in Energy?
The replacement decision is defined. Caputo and González decided it. The sources consulted indicate that it would be Maria Tettamanticurrent general manager at NRG Energy SA and former CEO of Camuzzi Gas Pampeana. She is an economist, graduated from the University of La Plata, and has a Master’s Degree in Economics from the University of CEMA. He also worked in Albanesi and Meridional SA Group.
Tettamanti has not only the confidence of the minister and the secretary, but also of Mauricio Macri. He was also responsible for gas in the energy team of Patricia Bullrichheaded by the former Secretary of Energy and Mining of the Nation, Emilio Apud. He worked in various companies in the energy sector, in the field of hydrocarbon production, marketing and distribution of natural gas.
As director of Cammuzzi, Tettamanti participated in the Ámbito Dabate cycle in 2022where he analyzed the current challenges that the sector in general is going through and referred to the situation in which the country finds itself in the face of the energy transition.
“The energy transition is something that is in process. My opinion is that Argentina is a little behind in the way of thinking about this transition. If we go specifically to what gas distribution is, we are in a segment that has not found the way to make the service accessible, without compromising investments and development of the sector.. We have that pending. We always think about what rate to apply and we don’t think about what’s coming. And my fear is that it will catch us off guard. The world is thinking about regulation for the sector in the face of the energy transition. And here we are very far away,” he said in that interview.
María Tettamanti and her vision of the future of gas and LNG for Argentina
The candidate to replace Chirillo also referred to the potential of gas Dead Cow. “The perspective that Argentina has in the development of Vaca Muerta is enormous. The potential is huge, but infrastructure is the bottleneck. The distributors are the last link in the chain,” explained Tettamanti, who detailed: “This gas can be consumed in the country, if the conditions for production are met, or it can be to generate electrical energy; or it can be for direct consumption. But that will require the growth of more networks.”
In that sense, the former Camuzzi director highlighted at that time the potential that gas has as a resource for the country: “In Argentina we have very seasonal consumption, in the winter. Most of it is used for heating, in the residential sector. In order for gas producers to be able to produce stably throughout the year, exports are needed in the summer. But for that you need an infrastructure. And that’s what they’re talking about.”
Source: Ambito
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