The Government expressed concern about the drastic reduction in flow in the Fuegian Gasduct, which directly impacts the generation of energy in the three cities of the province while a polar wave with extreme temperatures is going through.
In addition to the increase in consumption throughout the province, they attribute this situation to the sharp drop in gas production by companies operating in Tierra del Fuego, especially YPF. In fact, the pressure of the gas flow injected into the Fueguino Gasduct registers a drastic drop of more than 70% in the last week.
In that sense, the Minister of Energy of the province, Alejandro Aguirre, maintained that it is “a very complex situation” due “on the one hand to the increase in consumption due to the polar wave that the region is experiencing, but also due to the fall in the provision of gas by the operating companies.”
“At the Ushuaia Power Plant we are currently not having problems with the equipment, but rather with the gas pressure that enters for electricity generation,” the official reiterated and explained that “we usually receive 29 bar of pressure which makes the system work normally.” , but in the last few hours it has reached less than 22 bar.”
Aguirre maintained that in this situation “we are at risk since the alarms begin to sound at the Plant, because with less than 20 bar the Rolls Royce turbine stops its production immediately.”
“Cities are consuming more than double. This pushed the gas production system to the extreme. Added to this are problems at Total, YPF and Roch due to frozen gas pipelines. Before entering the treatment plants, the gas comes with liquids that freeze and form what is called hydrate.”
The Minister emphasized in this entire complex situation, in addition, in the “disinvestment that has occurred by the YPF company”, also mentioning “the decline that its operations have registered in all the provinces where ‘non-strategic deposits’ such as “They are called ‘unconventional’, because they pointed all their guns at Vaca Muerta.”
“This has generated a process of disinvestment in Tierra del Fuego, which today is clearly reflected in the fact that gas production has decreased greatly,” he reiterated.
On Tuesday, Aguirre, together with his partner from Public Works and Services, Gabriela Castillo, will be holding a meeting with representatives of the producing firms to learn more details about the current situation regarding gas production levels.
