Latin American projects worth US$12 billion to be featured in Houston

With US$12 billion worth of energy projects up for grabs, energy officials from 13 Latin American nations plan to take part in the U.S. Trade and Development Agency's Power and Energy in the Americas Conference, Oct. 23-25, in Houston.

Participants can expect to receive information on more than 40, large-scale, public- and private-sector projects currently on the drawing boards in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Uruguay and Venezuela. Projects include hydro and geothermal power generation, alternative energy, transmission, petrochemical, and oil and gas processing.

Driven by economic development and population growth, demand for energy in Latin America has increased steadily in recent years. Industry analysts expect demand for oil and electric power to grow at a high rate, creating an enormous market with extensive opportunities for United States exports and investments.

A series of prescheduled one-on-one meetings during the conference allow United States participants to meet privately with project sponsors, and with companies from the region interested in partnering with firms based in the United States.

Each United States participant will also receive a comprehensive resource guide and CD-ROM outlining the projects presented, including critical economic information, export potential, time lines, equipment needs and key contacts.

According to J. Joseph Grandmaison, TDA's director, "This conference will provide an unprecedented opportunity for U.S. companies to capture a larger share of Latin American energy and power projects."

The conference is open to representatives of United States-based power and energy companies, as well as those involved in energy-related engineering, construction, project development and project finance. United States commercial officers from Latin America and representatives from international lending institutions, including the Export-Import Bank, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the Inter-American Development Bank, expect to also participate.

Trade and industry organizations supporting the conference include the Edison Electric Institute, the Electric Power Supply Association and the InterAmerican Chamber of Commerce. Corporate sponsors include Parsons and Energy Argus.

For more information about the Power and Energy in the Americas Conference, which will be held at the Westin Galleria Hotel in Houston and requires all participants to pre-register. For more information, visit www.trademeetings.com or contact Dan Lamey, 305-667-4705, fax 305-667-7840, tda@mfmgroup.com.

Examples of projects to be discussed
Following are a list of some of the projects to be discussed at the conference:

Generation

ARGENTINA
Oil refinery in the province of Chubut
Project Delegate: Sergio Hilliar Earnesto Rigolli, presidential consultant, Petrominera Chubut. The estimated project cost is US$50 million, with an export potential of US$20 million.

BOLIVIA
Yura II hydroelectric development
Project Delegate: Carlos Querejazo Ortiz, general manager, Empressa Electrica Valle Hermoso S.A. The total cost of this project is estimated at US$13.5 million and equipment sales opportunities are estimated at US$12.5 million.

Electric energy cogeneration from sugar cane bagasse (biomass)
Project Delegate: Marcelo Fraija Sauma, Engineer, UNAGRO SA. The estimated cost for Phase 1 is US$2.65 million, and for Phase 2 US$8.91 million (total estimated project costs is US$11.555). Estimated export potential from this opportunity is US$11.2 million.

BRAZIL
Luz No Campo rural electrification project
Project Delegate: Fernando Luis Restum Pertusier, department chief, Electrobras. The total project cost is estimated at US$1.4 billion, with more than US$800 million in potential export sales opportunities.

UTE Cuiabá II
Project Delegate: Jose Bestard, director, Enron. The project cost is estimated at US$380 million, with export opportunities for equipment and engineering services at US$180 million.

UTE Termorio
Project Delegate: Fernando Ricci Pinto, project director, Electrobras. The project is valued at US$205 million, with an export potential of US$105 million.

UTE Valparaíso thermoelectric cogeneration plant
Project Delegate: Stephen Daubresse, general manager, CVE. The total project cost is estimated at US$195 million, with an export potential for equipment and engineering services of US$85 million.

COLOMBIA
Pescadero Ituango hydroelectric project
Project Delegates: Wilhelm Salazar, civil engineer, and Jose Maria Prada, civil engineer for Promotora of the Pescadero Ituango Hydroelectric S.A.E.S.P. The estimated cost of the project is US$1.4 billion, with an export potential of more than US$400 million in equipment sales.

Hydroelectric project for the River Sogamoso
Project Delegate: Eduardo Remolina Ordonez, legal representative, Hidrosogasomo S.A. The estimated project cost is US$351 million, and the export potential is US$240 million in equipment sales.

Multipurpose Guemues Project 1-PMG 1
Project Delegate: Francisco Arevalo Castellanos, manager, Proyecto Multiproposito Gamues S.A.-ESP. The total project cost is estimated at US$66 million, with an export potential of US$56 million.

COSTA RICA
Guayabo hydroelectric project
Project Delegate: Armando Balma, vice CEO, Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE). The total project cost is estimated at US$317 million. Export potential is estimated at US$48 million in equipment sales.

Miravalles V geothermal project
Project Delegate: Armando Balma, vice CEO, Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE). The total project cost is estimated at US$32.8 million, with an estimated export potential US$12 million.

ECUADOR
Quijos hydroelectric generation plant
Project Delegate: Herman Andino, general representative, Empresa Electrica Quito S.A. The total project cost is estimated at US$60 million, with an export potential estimated at US$17.5 million.

Multiple Purpose Quevedo-Vinces hydroelectric plant
Project Delegate: Nicolas Romero Sangaster, president, CEDEGE. The estimated project cost is US$ 50 million. Export potential is estimated at US$43 million in equipment sales.

La Posta electric generating plant
Project Delegate: Vasili A. Kamenetski, project manager, Electroambato S.A. The estimated total cost of the project is US$33 million, and the estimated export potential is US$25.8 million.

EL SALVADOR
El Cimarron hydroelectric powerhouse
Project Delegate: Salvadore Novellino, administrative and financing deputy director, Hydroelectric Executive Commission for the Lempa River. The project estimated cost is US$405 million, with export sales opportunities estimated at US$87 million.

MEXICO
Altamira V combined cycle power plant
Project Director: Juan Manuel Rodriguez, director of finance for inversion projects, Federal Electricity Commission. The total project cost is estimated at US$250 million, with an export potential of US$150 million in equipment sales.

El Sauz re-powering
Project Delegate: Juan Manuel Rodriguez, director of finance for inversion projects, Federal Electricity Commission. The estimated project cost is US$70 million, with an export potential of US$52.5 million.

Nuevo Pemex gas complex cogeneration plant
Project Delegate: Genaro Ceballos Brav, project and construction manager, PEMEX. The cost of the project is estimated at US$200 million, with an export potential of US$136 million in equipment sales.

PANAMA
Rio Cocle del Norte and Rio Indio-Gatun hydroelectric projects
Project Delegate: Augustin Arias, director, Panama Canal Authority. The total project cost is estimated at US$88.7 million. The export potential is estimated at US$29.5 million.

URUGUAY
Jose Batlley y Ordoñez electric plant repowering
Project Delegate: Cr. Carlos Pombo Ogliarusso, general manager, National Administration for Electric Plants and Transmission. The project cost is estimated at US$109.4 million, with an export potential of US$100.16 million.

"Key in Hand" work contract for the Shoreline power station provision and installation
Project Delegate: Cr. Carlos Pombo Ogliarusso, general manager, National Administration for Electric Plants and Transmissions. The estimated project cost is US$52.7 million, with an export potential of US$29 million.

VENEZUELA
Western Venezuela power generation expansion
Project Development: Vily Frenk, special projects FEL deader, PDVSA I&E. The estimated project cost is US$158 million, with an export potential of US$48.5 million.

Alternative Energy

ARGENTINA
PERMER-renewable energy project in the rural markets
Project Delegate: Jose Lorenzo Vietti, technical assistant coordinator, Argentina Secretary of Energy. The estimated project cost is US$120 million, with an export potential of about US$113 million.

CHILE
Calama wind farm project
Project Delegate: Santiago Torres, environmental affairs manager, CODELCO. The project cost is estimated at US$37.5 million, with an export potential of US$30 million in wind energy equipment.

GUATEMALA
El Trebol landfill gas project
Project Delegate: Sergio Veliz, manager-environmental program, Municipality of Guatemala City. The estimated total cost is US$11 million, with an export potential of US$10 million.

MEXICO
Simeprodeso waste-to-energy project
Project Delegate: Jaime Saldana, director of financed inversion projects, Simeprode. The project cost is estimated at US$23 million, with an export potential of US$15 million.

Fuel supply

URUGUAY
Natural gas distribution to the City of Montevideo
Delegate Pending. The total project cost is estimated at US$63 million dollars, and will be implemented in phases. The immediate export sales opportunities are about US$48.5 million.

Distribution

ARGENTINA
Nuevo Cuyo Region "Mining Line" Project
Project Delegate: Daniel J. Perucca, national coordinator for infrastructure, Federal Mining and Energy Secretary, Republic of Argentina. The total project cost is estimated at US$222 million, with an export potential of US$155 million in equipment sales.

BOLIVIA
Pipeline to Ilo
Project Delegate: Jorge Quiroga, presidential representative, Republic of Bolivia
The total project cost estimated at US$150 million. Export potential for this opportunity is US$69 million for equipment.

BRAZIL
Southeast-Northeast Interconnection Group C
Project Delegate: Nelson Pecly, transmission project representative, ANEEL. Total investment for both projects (3 blocks) is estimated at US$915 million aimed at integrating energy systems across all five regions in Brazil-North, Northeast, South, Southeast and Central-West. The Group C component has an estimated cost of US$340 million, with an estimated export potential of US$126 million.

ReLuz Electrification Project
Project Delegate: Amilcar Guerreiro, department chief, Electrobras. The estimated cost of the project is US$570 million, with an export potential of US$182 million.

UTE Tapana
Project Delegate: Luiz Otávio Koblitz, managing director, Koblitz Ltda. The project requires a total investment of US$20 million, with an export potential of US$15 million.

URUGUAY
Gas distribution in the interior of Uruguay
Project Delegate: Francisco Llano, general manager, Conecta. The cost of the project is estimated at US$146.3 million, with export sales opportunities of US$120.3 million.

VENEZUELA
Gas transportation system to Margarita Island
Project Delegate: Mario Penelope, project manager, PDVSA Gas. The total project cost is estimated at US$90 million and estimated export potential is US$30 million.

Transmission

MEXICO
CFE Transmission
Project Delegate: Enrique Rendó, assistant technical manager of network transmission, Federal Electricity Commission. The total installed cost for the project is US$1.3 billion.

VENEZUELA
Anaco-Barquisimeto gas pipeline
Project Delegate: Yekutuel Grunfeld, manager, new ventures-downstream, PDVSA Gas. The project cost is estimated at US$1.6 billion. The export potential for firms is estimated at US$600 million.

Anaco-Jose-Puerto La Cruz gas pipeline
Project Delegate: Yekutuel Grunfeld, manager, new ventures-downstream, PDVSA Gas. The project cost is estimated at US$150 million. The export potential is estimated at US$80 million.

Anaco-Puerto Ordaz gas pipeline
Project Delegate: Yekutuel Grunfeld, manager, new ventures-downstream, PDVSA Gas. The estimated total project cost is US$82 million. Export opportunities are estimated at US$35 million.

Barbacoas Margarita gas pipeline
Project Delegate: Yekutuel Grunfeld, manager, new ventures - downstream, PDVSA Gas. The total project cost is estimated at US$92 million. Export opportunities are estimated at US$35 million.

Tinaquillo-San Carlos- Acarigua natural gas pipeline
Project Delegate: Yekutuel Grunfeld, manager, new ventures-downstream, PDVSA Gas. The project cost is estimated at US$40 million, and the export potential is estimated at US$15 million.

Edited by April C. Murelio
Managing Editor, Power Online