ANDE president Báez also received Brazilian Ambassador José Antonio Marcondes de Carvalho to discuss shared projects in the sector. ANDE emphasized these coordinated efforts with diplomatic representatives aim to fortify national grid security, diversify commercialization opportunities, drive technological innovation, and guarantee sustainable development of the country’s energy potential.
The interconnection discussions occur as Minister Riquelme leads Paraguay’s largest-ever business delegation to New York for “Paraguay Day,” organized by Bank of America and J.P. Morgan. The delegation of over 50 private sector representatives, accompanying President Santiago Peña, will present concrete projects in forestry, logistics, energy, and manufacturing to leverage the country’s recent investment-grade rating and integrate Paraguayan companies into regional value chains.
Riquelme acknowledged that energy system capacity has become a priority concern. The issue is not total energy availability but rather potency required during peak hours on extreme heat days when air conditioning saturates the network. For the first time, industrial project demand exceeds installed capacity, with proposals in the queue totaling over 7,000 megawatts—equivalent to Paraguay’s entire Itaipú allocation.
Riquelme stressed the urgency of enabling private capital entry into non-renewable energy generation, a possibility opened by recent legislation ending ANDE’s historic monopoly. Sustaining an industrial revolution requires equipping ANDE with modern commercial tools and greater institutional strength, he said. Major investors planning multi-million dollar deployments demand long-term contracts denominated in hard currency and flexible negotiation schemes that ANDE’s bureaucratic model cannot yet provide. The frequency mismatch with Brazil adds further complexity to Paraguay’s race to expand grid capacity before industrial opportunities migrate elsewhere.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
