On November 7, 2022, Resolution 558/2022 of the Ente Nacional Regulador de la Electricidad (hereinafter, “Resolution 558” and “ENRE“, respectively) was published. The aim of this Resolution is to create new obligations related to environmental management for generating agents, self-generators, co-generators, transporters of electricity in high voltage, by trunk distribution, international interconnection, and distributors of electricity under federal jurisdiction of the Wholesale Electricity Market (“MEM“), all of them, hereinafter, the “Agents“.
Resolution 558 also repealed numerous resolutions that established obligations related to environmental management and the submission of information.
i. The new obligations established by Resolution 558
Under Resolution 558, Agents must prepare, implement, and certify an Environmental Management System (“EMS“) for the facilities under their responsibility. Likewise, the Agents’ Environmental Plans must comply with the guidelines and requirements established in the resolution.
Failure to comply with the obligations set forth in Resolution 558 shall subject the Agents to the sanctions and penalties set forth in the respective Concession Agreements or in Article 77 of Law No. 24,065 (such as fines, disqualification, suspension, etc.), as applicable.
ii. Incorporation of alternative mechanisms for compliance with certain obligations derived from Resolution 558
Resolution 558 also establishes two alternative procedures, depending on the type of Agent involved, for compliance with certain obligations
Firstly, Resolution 558 provides an alternative procedure for the following agents (i) responsible for photovoltaic solar parks or solar thermoelectric power plants, whose facilities have an Environmental Complexity Level (hereinafter, “ECL“) lower than 14.5 points; (ii) Agents responsible for wind farms, whose facilities have an ECL lower than 14.5 points; (iii) Agents responsible for thermal power plants with an installed capacity of less than or equal to 2 MW, consisting of a unit or combination of generation units equipped with internal combustion engines or gas turbines, which consume any type of fuel and whose facilities have an ECL of less than 14.5 points; (iv) Agents responsible for thermal power plants larger than 2 MW and less than or equal to 50 MW of installed power.
Secondly, Resolution 558 creates an alternative procedure for Agents responsible for hydroelectric exploitation of public watercourses when the normal power to be granted exceeds 500 kV.
iii. Additional remarks
As an additional aspect, Resolution 558 delegates to the head of the Public and Environmental Safety Area (“ASPA“) of the ENRE the necessary powers for the effective implementation of this resolution.
For further information, please contact either Nicolás Eliaschev, María Eugenia Muñoz, Pablo Arrascaeta y/o Luciana Tapia Rattaro.