- Electricity sector in Paraguay
"Source": ESMAP, 2006
Access to electricity
In 2005, almost 90% of the population in Paraguay had access to electricity, which is just slightly below than the 94.6% average for
LAC [http://info.worldbank.org/etools/lacelectricity/home.htm Benchmarking data of the electricity distribution sector in Latin America and Caribbean Region 1995-2005] ]The 2002 Census revealed that 87% of the households without electricity were located in rural areas, where access was about 77%. Rural coverage varies considerably among the different regions of the country. It is lowest in the remote and sparsely populated Chaco, or Western region.Pulfer 2005] The table below shows rural coverage by Department for 2002:
See also:
Departments of Paraguay (including a map)"Source": Pulfer, 2005 (from 2002 Census)
Since 2004, the National Electricity Administration (ANDE) has been carrying out a Program to Recover Distribution Works under the Self-Help System ("Sistema de Autoayuda"), which aims at the regularization of all the low and medium voltage distribution networks. This program, with a 10 year time-horizon, is implemented according to priorities defined by the conservation status of the networks involved. Under this program, installations that do not comply with current ANDE’s rules are replaced. ESMAP 2006]
Service quality
Interruption frequency and duration
In 2005, the average number of interruptions per subscriber was 16.4, while duration of interruptions per subscriber was 7.58 hours. While the number of interruptions is just slightly above than the weighted average for
LAC , 13 interruptions, the duration is well below the weighted average of 14 hours. [http://info.worldbank.org/etools/lacelectricity/home.htm Benchmarking data of the electricity distribution sector in Latin America and Caribbean Region 1995-2005] ]Blackouts
Despite consuming less than 6 TWh per year and exporting close to 45 TWh per year, Paraguay faces blackouts as well as a serious risk of suffering an energy crisis. This is the result of the limitations of both the transmission and distribution systems. The ceiling of the system is placed by ANDE’s at 1,700 MW, with demand above 1,500 MW in 2008. Casco Carreras 2008] Transmission capacity is urgently needed to avoid a supply crisis Casco Carreras 2008] in a system in which quality and an adequate technical service is practically nonexistent. ESMAP 2006]
Different authors believe that the price received for the electricity sold to Brazil (from Paraguay’s share in Itaipu) and also to Argentina to some extent (from its share in Yacyreta) is currently too low. The “fair price” established by the Itaipu Treaty was conceived on the basis of a “compensation for concession of energy” and not on the basis of a commercial exchange. This price has remained very low (about US$2.81 per MWh). It is argued that, if this price was more in line with actual electricity prices in the Brazilian market, Paraguay would have enough resources to strengthen its electricity transmission capacity. [Casco Carreras 2008]
Distribution and transmission losses
In 2005, distribution losses in Paraguay were has high as 31%, well above the 13.5% weighted average for
LAC [http://info.worldbank.org/etools/lacelectricity/home.htm Benchmarking data of the electricity distribution sector in Latin America and Caribbean Region 1995-2005] ] and up from about 22% in 2001 [http://www.ande.gov.py/ National Electricity Administration (ANDE)] ]System losses have become a serious problem in the last few years, having followed a continuous upward trend. The highest percentage of losses occurs in the National Interconnected System (SIN), while the remaining corresponds to the bi-national enterprises. In the SIN, distribution losses represented 23% of the total in 2003, while transmission losses, according to ANDE, were 7.3%. ANDE has established a 23% target for electricity losses for the year 2010. ESMAP 2006]
Responsibilities in the electricity sector
Responsibilities in the Paraguayan electricity sector are concentrated in a single, vertically integrated public monopoly, the National Electricity Administration ("Administración Nacional de Electricidad", ANDE).
Policy and regulation
Law 167/93 indicates that the Vice ministry of Mines and Energy (under the Ministry of Public Works and Communication) is responsible for establishing and guiding energy policy, as well as for the study of the technical, economic, financial and legal aspects that promote energy use. However, the Vice ministry does not have the adequate resources to effectively perform its functions. [Casco Carreras 2008]
In practice, all the energy responsibilities are concentrated in ANDE, which is the "de facto" electricity regulator and provider. ANDE also elaborates the tariff structure, which is then analyzed and approved by the Economic Council of the Executive Power. The Council usually sets lower tariffs to the ones proposed by ANDE, which leads to a lack of resources for the necessary investment for adequate performance of the electricity system. ESMAP 2006]
Generation, transmission and distribution
ANDE controls the country’s entire electricity market, including generation, transmission and distribution. ANDE operates only one hydroelectric dam, Acaray, and six thermal power plants, with total installed capacity of 220 MW. It is also responsible for Paraguay’s share of
Itaipú andYacyretá , the two bi-national hydroelectric facilities (See bi-national facilities above).ANDE operates 2,100 miles of transmission lines in the Interconnected National System, divided in 6 subsystems, and 670 miles of distribution lines. [http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/Paraguay_Uruguay/Electricity.html Energy Information Administration (EIA)] ] It is also responsible for all of the distribution, with two exceptions: CLYFSA ("Compañía de Luz y Fuerza, S.A."), which has a concession to distribute and commercialize electricity in Villarrica, and the "Empresas Distribuidoras Menonitas del Chaco Central". ESMAP 2006]
History of the electricity sector
Hydroelectric plants
Itaipu In April 1973, the governments of Paraguay and Brazil signed the Itaipu Treaty, by which it was decided to create a binational entity to hydroelectric use of the
Paraná river. This entity was constituted by ANDE (Paraguay) and ELECTROBRAS (Brazil). US$100 million where contributed in equal parts by both companies. ESMAP 2006]
= Yacyretá =In December 1973, the governments of Argentina and Paraguay signed the Yacyreta Treaty, by which ANDE and "Agua y Energía" constituted the Binational Entity, whose aim is the hydroelectric use of the Paraná river. US$100 million where contributed in equal parts by both companies. ESMAP 2006]
Corpus Christi
In 1971, Paraguay and Argentina created the River Parana Joint Commission ("Comisión Mixta del Río Paraná", COMIP), which started to carry out different studies (pre-feasibility, environmental, etc.) for the Corpus project, to be located upstream of the Paraná river, close to the towns of Corpus (in the Argentina
Misiones Province and Puerto Bella Vista in Paraguay Suárez Montorfano 2007] . In the mid 1980s, Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil signed a tripartite agreement that established the operating height of the project, which would allow to bring into line the operation of Corpus with those ofYacyreta andItaipu . [ [http://www.comip.org.ar/organismo.htm "Comisión Mixta del Río Paraná", COMIP] ] The different alternatives for this project are still under study. As a large hydroelectric project, with installed capacity of about 3,000 MW and annual generation of about 19,000 GWh [ [http://www.ssme.gov.py/VMME/VMME.htm Viceministry of Energy and Mines] ] , Corpus is a controversial project that is opposed both at the regional and social levels. In April 1996, in a plebiscite in theMisiones Province , the construction of the dam was opposed by almost 89% of the voters. Suárez Montorfano 2007]Tariffs and subsidies
Tariffs
In 2006, the average national tariff in Paraguay was US$0.080 per kWh [http://www.ande.gov.py/ National Electricity Administration (ANDE)] ] Tariffs for the different consumer groups were [http://www.ande.gov.py/ National Electricity Administration (ANDE)] ] :
* Residential: US$0.091/kWh ( weighted average for
LAC in 2005: 0.105 [http://realserver.worldbank.org/wbimm/lacelectricity/home.htm Benchmarking data of the electricity distribution sector in Latin America and Caribbean Region 1995-2005] ] )
* Commercial: US$0.090/kWh
* Industrial: US$0.056/kWh ( weighted average forLAC in 2005: 0.1075 [http://realserver.worldbank.org/wbimm/lacelectricity/home.htm Benchmarking data of the electricity distribution sector in Latin America and Caribbean Region 1995-2005] ] )
* General: US$0.075/kWh
* Others: US$0.094/kWhSubsidies
In November 2004, the Paraguayan Government approved Law 2,501, which broadened the electricity social tariff applied by ANDE. The social tariff is applied to residential users below 150kWh of monthly consumption. Currently, about 37% of total customers benefit from this tariff. ANDE estimates that this share will gradually increase to 56% of the totalESMAP 2006] .
Investment and financing
Investments for maintenance and expansion of the necessary assets to provide electricity service have been executed with the support of multilateral credit institutionsESMAP 2006] .
Summary of private participation in the electricity sector
The National Electricity Administration ("Administración Nacional de Electricidad", ANDE), Paraguay’s state-owned utility, controls the country’s entire electricity market, including generation, transmission and distribution. [http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/Paraguay_Uruguay/Electricity.html Energy Information Administration (EIA)] ]
Two small companies buy electricity from ANDE and have concessions to distribute and sell it: CLYFSA (Compañía de Luz y Fuerza, S.A.) in Villarrica, and the "Empresas Distribuidoras Menonitas del Chaco Central".
Electricity and the environment
Responsibility for the environment
The Environmental Directorate ("Secretaría del Ambiente", SEAM) is the institution in charge of environmental issues in Paraguay, focusing on natural resources management and preservation. [ [http://www.seam.gov.py/ Environmental Directorate] ]
Greenhouse gas emissions
Paraguay emitted 3.85 millions tons of CO2 in 2005, which corresponds to just 0.61 tCO2 per capita annually, the lowest rate in the
LAC region after Haiti’s. [ [http://www.eia.doe.gov/environment.html Energy Information Administration, International Emissions Data] ]CDM projects in electricity
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