Having delayed the launch of the coal plant due to problems in the turbines, Jaguar Energy plans to start commercial operation in the coming weeks.
Jaguar Energy's plant power which will generate electricity from coal will be ready to start trading, after authorities at Energuate verify the reinstallation of the two turbines that had problems and were revised in China.
The electricity generating plant based on coal did not start supplying energy on the date stated in the contract, therefore Energuate has canceled the contract and will be enforcing the guarantee.
Although the coal plant belonging to Jaguar Energy still has problems in testing and is not yet ready to start operating, Energuate has ruled out preparing another tender to replace it.
Although in February Energuate mentioned the possibility of convening a new tender to replace the power supply which the plant by Jaguar Energy should have started providing from June, now its director, Dimas Carranza, said that "...
The new delays in testing the 300 MW coal plant mean that it will not be ready to fulfill the contract obligations to start supplying energy on May 1.
For the third time a delay has been reported in testing synchronization of equipment installed in the plant with the National Interconnected System (SIN by its initials in Spanish) due to lack of technical coordination between the generator and the administration of the Wholesale Market.
Using an auction mechanism consisting of successive rounds contracts were awarded to 21 power plants for energy supply at an average price of $109.38 per MW.
Dimas Carranza, coordinator of the Tender Board, told Prensalibre.com that the average price of $109.38 per MW "... refers to the amount projected for 2018, when contracts must be operational ... those prices equate to $97.74 at 2013 prices."
In a second round of bidding for the period 2015/2017 the bidders had lower prices, but the government believes these can be further reduced.
The same 14 generators who took part in the first round had sales prices ranging from $0.50 to $10.
"Dimas Carranza, Member of the Tender Board of the distributor Energuate, said they hope that with these new offers they will manage to reduce rates for users."
The National Energy Commission is evaluating a second round of bidding for short-term contracts (2014-2017) so that bidders can submit lower prices.
In order for power generating companies to submit bids at lower prices than those offered in the tender a few days ago, the Energy Commission will review the proposals and if it is not satisfied with the prices it will hold a second round.