The Andean Community approves a standard to advance a project started in 2017 to achieve electrical interconnection.
Reference image on electrical interconnection.
The Andean Community Commission (CAN) approved a community standard to launch the short-term Regional Andean Electricity Market. It is a project started in 2017 to achieve electrical interconnection between Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.
The CAN met on December 11, 2023 on the occasion of the 128th period of ordinary sessions.
The meeting was called by Bolivia in its capacity as president pro tempore, to approve the norm. This gives new impetus to electrical interconnection and modifies Decision 816, which will provide member countries with a transition period to adapt it, as well as its regulations, to the internal regulations of each country.
With this modification, the General Secretariat of the Andean Community, with approval of the Andean Committee of Normative Bodies and Regulatory Bodies of Electricity Services (Canrel), must issue the resolution that adopts said regulations, to finally launch the Regional Andean Electricity Market Short Term, the agency added.
Additionally, the rule establishes a transition period that will allow Peru and Ecuador to continue carrying out electricity transactions with the currently current format until the 500 kilovolt (kV) electrical interconnection line between Peru and Ecuador comes into operation, estimated for 2027.
In 2017, the Andean bloc approved Decision 816 that creates the Andean Regional Short-Term Electricity Market (MAERCP) and establishes the validity of the transitional regime between Colombia and Ecuador; and between Ecuador and Peru until the corresponding Operational, Commercial and Regional Coordinator Regulations are approved and published.
In the last session, the Decision was also approved that will allow the purchase of equipment and software for the installation of the Intercom community interoperability project, which will be located at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the CAN in Lima.
The systems of the entities of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru will be integrated into this platform.
The purchase of equipment that will be carried out with resources from the Community Initiatives Fund (FIC) will make it possible for the development tests to be completed and for the white start (start-up and testing) of the project to be carried out starting in April 2024.
