Title: Environmental assessment process for the AES Parana power plant development project in Argentina

Authors: William E. Roper, Jose Gomez

Addresses: Department of Civil, Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering, School of Information Technology and Engineering, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Mail Stop 4A6, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA. ' Environmental and Social Development Section, Department of Latin America and the Caribbean, Headquarters, The World Bank, 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington DC 20433, USA

Abstract: The paper describes the electric utility generation project that was constructed at the site of the existing Central Termica San Nicolas (CTSN) power plant in San Nicolas, Argentina about 240 km northwest of Buenos Aires and the projects environmental impact. This project is part of the Argentina Electric Sector (AES) and an important peak power contributor to the regional electric power grid. The principal elements of the Project include a new 830 MW power generation plant, a 16 km natural gas pipeline to supply fuel to the project from a high-pressure trunk line, and a 9 km 500 KV electric transmission line to connect to the national grid. The new plant is expected to have a natural gas supply for all of its daily requirements, with the potential for supply interruptions of up to 30 days per year. In planning this project, a number of environmental impact considerations were studied. Assessment area examples include; geology, topography, climatology, meteorology, air quality, noise, hydrology and water quality, ecology, socio-economic conditions archaeological, historical and cultural resources. The primary results of these environmental assessments are summarised in the paper as well as a comparison with the US process.

Keywords: power plant environmental planning; environmental impact assessment; Argentina; power development; air pollution reduction; environment-friendly power; pollution management; electricity generation; natural gas; environmental assessment.

DOI: 10.1504/IJETM.2005.006854

International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 2005 Vol.5 No.2/3, pp.300 - 317

Published online: 18 Apr 2005 *

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