Andean Community approves rule to advance in the Regional Andean Electricity Market

The Andean Community Commission (CAN) approved a community standard to launch the short-term Regional Andean Electricity Market, a project started in 2017 to achieve electrical interconnection between Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and BoliviaThis South American bloc reported this Monday.

The Andean Community Commission met within the framework of the 128th period of ordinary sessions, convened by Bolivia in its capacity as president pro tempore, to approve the norm that gives new impetus to electrical interconnection and modifies Decision 816, which will provide member countries a transition period to adapt said standard and its regulations to their internal regulations.

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 Andean Regional Short Electricity Market Deadline, the agency added.

Additionally, the rule establishes a transition period that will allow Peru and Ecuador to continue carrying out electricity transactions under 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 that will allow the purchase of equipment and software for the installation of the community interoperability project was also approved ‘Intercom’, which will be located at the headquarters of the CAN General Secretariat 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 of the project to be executed starting in April 2024.

The Commission session had the remote participation of the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism of Colombia, Germán Umaña, the Vice Minister of Foreign Trade of Ecuador, Edwin Vásquez, the general director of Integration and Borders of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bolivia, Delia Pinto , the general director of International Trade Negotiations of the Peruvian Foreign Ministry, José Luis Castillo, and the general secretary of the Andean Community, Gonzalo Gutiérrez.