YPF Luz and Pampetrol Partner to Develop 80 Megawatts of Solar in Argentina's La Pampa

• YPF Luz and Pampetrol have signed an agreement to jointly work on the development of two solar projects which could generate up to 80 megawatts of solar energy in Argentina's La Pampa province.

What happened? 

YPF Luz and Pampetrol, an oil-and-gas company owned by the La Pampa provincial government, have signed an agreement to jointly work on the development of two solar projects which could generate up to 80 megawatts of solar energy in Argentina's La Pampa province. The two companies will evaluate sites in the towns of Realico and General Pico to install up to 40 MW per project. Depending on the capacity, the construction of each project could require between USD 20 million and USD 30 million of investments, YPF Luz said. 

Why does it matter?

This partnership is an important step towards achieving energy sovereignty in the La Pampa province. It will also help Argentina in its goal to increase the share of renewable energy in its energy mix. Currently, renewable energy makes up just 1.3% of the country’s energy mix, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. This project could help the country increase its renewable energy capacity, as well as create jobs and other economic benefits for the local community. 

What's next?

In the next phase, the duo will work on site identification, project engineering, interconnection studies and permit gathering. Once completed, the two projects could provide enough energy to power the equivalent of approximately 140,000 homes in Argentina. The project is expected to be completed in 2021.