“For reasons of cost and care of the environment, companies are going to adopt this type of gas fractures,” said Martínez.
Neuquén.- The Hydrocarbons, Energy and Communications commission began to debate the initiative that sets a seven-year period for companies in the hydrocarbon sector to stop using frackers powered by liquid fuel and replace them with engines that run on gas.
In addition, he received – virtually – the Conicet researcher, Jonathan Nuñez, within the framework of the project that requests the recovery by the province of hydroelectric dams. The commission functioned in a minority.
The project belongs to legislator Darío Martínez (UxP) and promotes a transition plan that allows reducing emissions of Carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), methane (CH4), solid particles and other polluting gases generated by the use of diesel.
“We want companies to convert fracturing engines from diesel to gas and thus reduce the emissions that companies generate when operating in Vaca Muerta,” said Martínez, recalling that on average fracturing operations demand 12 million liters of diesel per year. anus.
In this sense, the legislator highlighted the need to promote regulations that reverse this trend and sponsor the conversion of gas engines, an input that reduces the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by between 20 and 45%, among other benefits. He also considered as an additional benefit the ability to use as an energy source the same gas obtained in those wells in which its extraction is associated with that of oil.
In his presentation, Martínez considered the time to be opportune to debate the regulations, pointing out that currently companies must incorporate more equipment to expand their level of production. In this regard, he maintained that the implementation of a deadline scheme allows companies to “carry out a sustained migration towards cleaner energies” and associated with a lower operating cost.
“For reasons of cost and care of the environment, companies are going to adopt this type of gas fracturing,” said Martínez, predicting that Vaca Muerta is heading towards a scenario with “a greater number of gas billers to pollute less.”
At the beginning of the meeting, the body received virtually the Conicet researcher, Jonathan Nuñez, who specialized in the privatization process of hydroelectric dams during the ’90s. Nuñez explained in the framework of the treatment of the initiative that he expresses himself in favor of the recovery of hydroelectric dams and promotes the creation of the Interjurisdictional Hydroelectric Energy Entity.
When speaking, the guest highlighted that the amortization cost of the dams built during the ’70s and ’80s in the Limay and Neuquén river basins was completed and paid between 2007 and 2010. In this regard, He recalled that in real terms the concessionaires, from 1993 to date, only had to pay for its usufruct 10% of the value required for its construction and start-up.
In that sense, Nuñez considered that from 2010 to date the State could have begun to recover the investment made, however not only that usufruct remained in private hands, but also the annual income generated by all the dams installed in the area. country reaches values that range between 350 and 400 million dollars annually. “That income was captured by the private sector,” he observed.
At the same time, the Conicet researcher spoke out in favor of expanding the energy matrix, considering that it is “underutilized.” He maintained that Argentina uses between 60 and 65% gas to power its industry and consumption and indicated that electricity has the capacity to advance in many areas, especially those linked to mobility.
When asked about other States that decided not to privatize their hydroelectric resources. Nuñez recalled that the neighboring country of Brazil has 70% of its electricity generation resources under the state orbit and added that in China the percentage reaches 100% and continues to build dams in its territory.
