Peru’s Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM) is accelerating key electric infrastructure projects in the Arequipa region while concurrently advancing a portfolio of 84 prioritized mining exploration initiatives with over $1 billion in estimated investment. These developments aim to enhance regional electrification, improve transmission capacity, and sustain the mining sector’s competitiveness through streamlined permitting and investment facilitation.
Minister Luis Bravo and Vice Minister Nilo Pereira convened with SEAL’s General Manager Markpool De Taboada to evaluate progress on critical electric infrastructure projects in southern Peru. The main focus included the 138 kV transmission line between Base Islay and Matarani and the Matarani Transformation Substation, representing an investment above 34 million Peruvian soles. This project is expected to enhance transmission capabilities and secure energy supply to over 10,800 residents in the Islay province, a region vital to the economic growth of southern Peru. Additional attention was given to the rural electrification project in Caravelí province, funded by MINEM’s Directorate General for Rural Electrification (DGER), targeting electrification for more than 5,300 inhabitants and addressing access gaps in remote areas. Discussions also covered the undergrounding of overhead electrical networks in historic centers of Arequipa, Yanahuara, and Mejía, along with 2026 projects benefiting Arequipa, Camaná, Islay, Condesuyos, and Caylloma provinces, collectively impacting 220,370 residents.
Parallel to grid improvements, MINEM is conducting a series of 15 strategic meetings under the “Perú Explora” initiative to expedite 84 mining exploration projects with a combined investment of approximately US$1.04 billion for 2025–2026. The effort focuses on facilitating evaluations, unlocking permits, and fostering a competitive investment climate nationally, starting with presentations by Vale Exploration Perú S.A. The mining portfolio covers 65 projects across 19 departments, predominantly copper-based (72%), with upcoming projects including San Gabriel, Romina, and Cerro Verde optimizations that are expected to underpin Peru’s positioning in the global mining sector. The viceminister highlighted a 36.7% year-on-year increase in mining investments for 2025 and emphasized Peru’s potential to supply critical minerals vital for the global energy transition.
MINEM reaffirms its commitment to coordinated public-private actions to modernize Peru’s energy infrastructure and mining exploration environment, supporting national economic growth and regional development in the south.
