Peru’s energy and mines ministry has accepted force majeure requests from Empresa de Generación Eléctrica Santa Lorenza for its 18.7-MW Santa Lorenza I small hydro project.
The plant was due to be online at the end of 2018. According to BNamericas, the developer of the US$41.7 million project submitted the requests in 2019 due to transit restrictions on the Ambo-San Rafael highway after heavy rains and opposition from the Salapampa rural community that prevented excavation of the hydro’s tunnel. The Salapampa community attributed lower flow of the Badurragra irrigation canal to the tunnel’s construction, according to the latest social conflict report from the country’s ombudsman Defensoràa del Pueblo.
The run-of-river plant will use water from the Huallaga River in the central highland region of Huà¡nuco and was a winner in Peru’s third renewable energy resources auction with an offer of US$64.8/MWh. Work began in 2015, and physical advancement has reached 61.6%.
Santa Lorenza I will connect to the national grid via the 138-kV, 7.1-km-long Santa Lorenza-Paragsha 2-Amarilis line, which is nearly complete.
Information from energy and mining investment regulator Osinergmin shows that Empresa de Generación Eléctrica Santa Lorenza requested that the new commercial operation startup deadline be pushed back to June 2023.
