More than 10 million Peruvians (between 2.5 and 3.3 million connections) in the south and north of the country could benefit from the massification of natural gas if the Congress resumes the debate on autograph 679, that proposed a level rate at the national levelaccording to a study presented by Promigás, a company that has the concession of this resource in Piura, La Libertad, Áncash, Cajamarca and Lambayeque.
In 2022, a total of 1 million 861,417 clients – around 6 million Peruvians – managed to access the service. natural gas. With this, in the last 5 years the number of users (connections) increased by 20%, a rate of almost 800,000 Peruvians per year.
Juan Manuel Rojas, president of Promigás, highlighted that the advance in residential clients allowed the coverage of the natural gas service to rise to 17% last year throughout the country, above the 14% reached in 2021.
Only between 2021 and 2022 there were 305,000 new connections for 1 million Peruvians (each household has between 3 and 4 members). These data have also been accompanied by a growth in consumption. According to the report collected on the Infogas portal, in 2022 a consumption of 1,202 million cubic feet per day (MPCD) was achieved, 21% more than in 2021.
However, and despite the contribution of Government programs, such as the FISE Bonogas, and the resources of With Punch Peruit is still necessary for the national gas rate to be leveled.
This is PL 679/2021, one of the few that have been rescued from the management of former president Pedro Castillo. The device sought, first, to extend the networks with FISE resources, and then to level the national rate, in order to make the regions outside of Lima more competitive. It was left aside for Con Punche Perú.
“In the last legislature, which expired in June, a PL for massification was approved, but the project sent by the Executive, which included consumption of 900,000 cubic meters per month for different types of users, left Congress with only 50,000 . “This does not allow massification to accelerate as expected,” Rojas said.
New gas rates
The former Vice Minister of Energy, Arturo Vásquez, maintained that the Energy and Mines Commission, where the device remains autograph after a first vote in the Plenary, must convene all market actors to establish a new scheme with a favorable position of Osinergmin, and that the cross subsidy allows rates to be leveled with regions where consumption is not large.
He considered that the increase indicated by Promigás of 4 cents for the Lima rate (if leveling occurs) is sustainable “because there is an economy of scale and massification is advancing rapidly.”
For his part, hydrocarbons specialist, Erick García, stated that, currently, the rates outside Lima were designed according to their reality. For example, in the south and north they were higher. García explained that promoting a single rate does not imply reducing the rates of some regions to the detriment of others, but rather the creation of a fund that compensates consumption between regions. Promigás even talks about a gas canon.
“Companies consider that with accessible natural gas, more demand is generated, and the correct thing for a decentralization issue is that everyone has a similar rate,” he said.
Everyone wins with gas, except in the province
The average price of gas for a Lima home is US$11.2 per million BTU, while the rate for the north and south of the country reaches US$19.1, according to Minem.
The highest gas consumption in 2022 corresponded to electricity generation, which reached 484 mcfd, 15% more than in 2021. Exports increased by 35% to 460 mcfd.
63% of the connections installed as of June of this year were paid for with Bonogas funds. This includes homes, hospitals, mypes, etc.
The resources of With Punch Peru destined for mass use have reached 110,000 homes to date, in addition to 10,000 light vehicles converted to CNG.
Erick García, hydrocarbon specialist
“Users of all categories need to have an affordable gas price. This will allow them to have more consumption volume to generate more sales and build more networks. “A virtuous circle.”
Arturo Vásquez, former vice minister of Energy
“Although small, the impact of natural gas consumption is very important for the regions. Massification will separate them from the problem of LPG, which is imported. “A great social benefit.”
Source: Larepublica
Alia is a professional author and journalist, working at 247 news agency. She writes on various topics from economy news to general interest pieces, providing readers with relevant and informative content. With years of experience, she brings a unique perspective and in-depth analysis to her work.
