Environmental assessment process for the AES Parana power plant development project in Argentina. (20th April 2005) - Roper, William E.
The paper describes the electric utility generation project that was constructed at the site of the existing Central Termica San Nicolas (CTSN) power plant in San Nicolas, Argentina about 240 km northwest of Buenos Aires and the projects environmental impact. This project is part of the Argentina Electric Sector (AES) and an important peak power contributor to the regional electric power grid. The principal elements of the Project include a new 830 MW power generation plant, a 16 km natural gas pipeline to supply fuel to the project from a high-pressure trunk line, and a 9 km 500 KV electric transmission line to connect to the national grid. The new plant is expected to have a natural gas supply for all of its daily requirements, with the potential for supply interruptions of up to 30 days per year. In planning this project, a number of environmental impact considerations were studied. Assessment area examples include; geology, topography, climatology, meteorology, air quality, noise, hydrology and water quality, ecology, socio-economic conditions archaeological, historical and cultural resources. The primary results of these environmental assessments are summarised in the paper as well as a comparison with the US process.