Bolivia creates new Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy

The energy portfolio of Bolivia in South America so far was part of a joint Ministry on Hydrocarbons and Energy, but is now being spun out into a ministry of Energy

Last week during a ceremony in the city of Laz Paz, the Minister of Hydrocarbons, Luis Alberto Sánchez, officially transfered the functions for the electricity sector of the country to the new Energy Minister , Rafael Alarcón. “The new Minister Alarcón will have to continue our efforts in pushing ahead with renewable energy, to make the transition from gas fueled power generation to renewable energies. So that the gas we have now does not have to be subsidized and we can sell it abroad, and that Bolivia is within the international environmental protocols, in addition to the development of lithium and the operation of the Nuclear Center and especially the challenge of energy integration In which we have advanced these last two years, “said Sanchez.

Planned power projects in Bolivia will require an investment of up to $30 billion until 2025, to build up to 15,000 MW and turn Bolivia into the energy heart of South America.

The deputy minister of Electricity and Alternative Energies, Joaquín Rodríguez, reported that there are 34 electricity generation projects scheduled for the next ten years.

Among the renewable energy projects, are biomass, solar and the geothermal project at Laguna Colorada, near the border of Chile. It is expected that the renewable energy projects require investment of up to $1.4 billion.

It is expect that an open call to further evaluate the water supply capacity for the 100 MW Laguna Colorada geothermal project will be scheduled for this year. But no more details are available at this point.

More details on the Laguna Colorado project can be found here.

Source: Ende, BN Americas, Cambio.bo