Markets & Forecasts

Argentina’s power sector lurches from crisis to crisis

Argentina will need significant investment in its electricity infrastructure to avoid a repeat of the blackout that hit the country in June Argentina will need significant investment in its electricity infrastructure to avoid a repeat of the blackout that hit the country in June.

By Abhishek Kumar 3 July 2019 Americas / Supply & Demand 0 34357

A system failure in the electricity grid of Argentina’s Litoral region appears to have precipitated the worse blackout in the country’s history. (PA)

Argentina suffered its first-ever nationwide blackout in June, offering a reminder of the challenges faced by the country’s power sector. Argentina urgently needs to invest in its electricity transmission infrastructure to avoid similar incidents in future. However, the country is again going through a recession and government finances are stretched, limiting the scope for infrastructure spending.

The incident on 16 June is reported to have caused complete power outages in Argentina and Uruguay, while minor supply disruptions were also observed in Paraguay and Chile. The Argentine...