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San Nicolás power station (Central Térmica San Nicolás) is an operating power station of at least 825-megawatts (MW) in San Nicolás de los Arroyos, departamento San Nicolás, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| San Nicolás power station | San Nicolás de los Arroyos, departamento San Nicolás, Buenos Aires, Argentina | -33.35492, -60.172917 (exact)[1][2][3] |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4, Unit 5: -33.35492, -60.172917
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | CHP | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | operating[4] | coal - unknown, fossil liquids - fuel oil, fossil gas - natural gas[5][6][4][7] | 75[8][9] | steam turbine[9] | – | 1956[8] | 2026 (planned) |
| Unit 1 | operating[4] | fossil liquids - fuel oil, coal - unknown, fossil gas - natural gas[5][6][4][7] | 75[8][9] | steam turbine[9] | – | 1956[8] | 2026 (planned) |
| Unit 2 | operating[4] | coal - unknown, fossil liquids - fuel oil, fossil gas - natural gas[5][10][6][7] | 75[8][9] | steam turbine[9] | – | 1956[8] | 2026 (planned) |
| Unit 2 | operating[4] | fossil liquids - fuel oil, coal - unknown, fossil gas - natural gas[5][10][6][7] | 75[8][9] | steam turbine[9] | – | 1956[8] | 2026 (planned) |
| Unit 3 | operating[4] | fossil liquids - fuel oil, fossil gas - natural gas[5][10][6][7] | 75[8][9] | steam turbine[9] | – | 1956[8] | – |
| Unit 4 | operating[4] | fossil liquids - fuel oil, fossil gas - natural gas[5][10][6][7] | 75[8][9] | steam turbine[9] | – | 1956[8] | – |
| Unit 5 | operating | coal - bituminous | 375 | subcritical | – | 1983 | 2026 (planned) |
CHP is an abbreviation for Combined Heat and Power. It is a technology that produces electricity and thermal energy at high efficiencies. Coal units track this information in the Captive Use section when known.
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | AES Argentina Generación SA [100.0%] | – |
| Unit 1 | AES Argentina Generación SA [100%] | AES Corp |
| Unit 2 | AES Argentina Generación SA [100.0%] | – |
| Unit 2 | AES Argentina Generación SA [100%] | AES Corp |
| Unit 3 | AES Argentina Generación SA [100%] | AES Corp |
| Unit 4 | AES Argentina Generación SA [100%] | AES Corp |
| Unit 5 | AES Argentina Generación SA [100.0%] | – |
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): Río Turbio coal mine
Background
Construction of the San Nicolás power station began in 1950, and the plant's original four units, each with a capacity of 75 MW, were commissioned in 1956. A fifth, 350 MW unit was commissioned in 1983. AES Argentina, the Argentine subsidiary of AES Corporation, acquired the plant in 1993. In 2004, the plant's total capacity rose from 650 MW to 675 MW with the incorporation of 'black start' technology.[11]
Today San Nicolás is one of ten power plants operated by AES Argentina[12][13], and it remains one of the country's most versatile power generators, with the capacity to burn coal, fuel oil or natural gas.[14][11][15]
Units 1, 2, and 5 were made to operate on sub-bituminous coal, natural gas, and fuel oil, while Units 3 and 4 could operate on natural gas and fuel oil.[16][17][18] As of March 2022, coal for the plant was sourced from Colombia, Australia, South Africa, and the Río Turbio Mine in Argentina.[19]
In 2022, an AES report stated that the San Nicolás power station also had a 16 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) installed on site, for use when the combustion units were not in service. [20]
Planned phase-out of coal
In June 2023, AES Argentina's president, Martín Genesio, announced that the San Nicolás power station would stop burning coal by 2026, in accordance with the company's "Coal to Green" strategy.[21]
Environmental impact
In November 2021, the NGO Foro Medioambiental de San Nicolás (FOMEA) filed charges in Argentina's federal court system denouncing the San Nicolás plant for environmental violations including improper burial of ashes, dispersion of materials, and contamination of the Paraná river.[22][23] Between November 2021 and September 2022, the San Nicolás plant was raided three times by federal authorities investigating the plant's role in contaminating surrounding soil and waterways.[24] The disposal of coal ash and liquid waste were the main environmental concerns.[25] In a January 2022 statement, AES maintained that it was complying with all regulations and environmental standards.[26]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ "Central Termoeléctrica San Nicolás - AES Generación Argentina · Esperanza, Santa Fe, Argentina". Google Maps.
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240125123013/https://globalenergyobservatory.org/form.php?pid=42221. Archived from the original on 25 January 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240125145835/https://www.google.com/maps/place/Central+Termoel%C3%A9ctrica+San+Nicol%C3%A1s+-+AES+Generaci%C3%B3n+Argentina/@-33.3572629,-60.1762287,983m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x95b75dc9d1fb8069:0x140007783d6438!8m2!3d-33.3558572!4d-60.1730243!16s%2Fg%2F11bzs1x49b?entry=tts. Archived from the original on 25 January 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 "AES Corporation: Form 10-K". US Securities & Exchange Commission. 2023-03-01.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20240125085628/http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/irol/20/202639/factsheets/latinamerica2.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 January 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 https://web.archive.org/web/20240125085056/https://www.argentina.gob.ar/economia/energia/planeamiento-energetico/panel-de-indicadores/superset-consumo-de-combustibles-para-generacion-electrica. Archived from the original on 25 January 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20240125085623/https://openjicareport.jica.go.jp/pdf/11674058_04.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 January 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 https://web.archive.org/web/20240125100051/https://enernews.com/nota/191686/con-una-inversion-de-30-millones-aes-argentina-celebra-el-50-aniversario-de-central-termica-san-nicolas-. Archived from the original on 25 January 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 https://web.archive.org/web/20240125100134/http://mepriv.mecon.gov.ar/Agua_y_Energia/Produccion-SanNicolas.htm. Archived from the original on 25 January 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 https://web.archive.org/web/20240225050953/https://sec.report/Document/0000874761-22-000022/. Archived from the original on 25 February 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Con una inversión de $30 millones, AES Argentina celebra el 50 aniversario de Central Térmica San Nicolás". EnerNews. November 14, 2006.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "AES Argentina logró refinanciar su deuda por la normativa del Banco Central". Diario Río Negro. February 16, 2021.
- ↑ "Our history". AES Argentina. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Consumo de Combustibles para generación eléctrica". Secretaría de Energía de Argentina. Retrieved 2022-06-22.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Electric Power in Argentina (p 3-13)" (PDF). JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency). 2004.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "AES Central Thermal San Nicolas Power Plant Argentina - GEO". Global Energy Observatory. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Memoria de las Privatizaciones: Central Térmica San Nicolás S.A." Ministerio de Economía, Argentina.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Castro, Liliana N. (November 2008). "Puede tener mayor participación en la matriz energética nacional? : Carbón Argentino (p 3)" (PDF). Encrucijadas, no. 45. Universidad de Buenos Aires.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Fitch Affirms AES Argentina at 'CCC'". Fitch Ratings. March 24, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Memoria 2022 A los señores accionistas de AES Argentina Generación S.A. AES AAG 2022, Dec. 31, 2022
- ↑ "AES dejará en 2026 de generar electricidad con carbón en su Central Térmica de San Nicolás". Mejor Energía. June 21, 2023.
- ↑ "Allanaron la Central Térmica de San Nicolás | Contaminación ambiental". Página 12. November 10, 2021.
- ↑ "AES ARGENTINA RESPONDE A LAS ACUSACIONES SOBRE PRESUNTA CONTAMINACIÓN". Diario El Norte (in español). 2021-11-11. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
- ↑ "Allanaron por tercera vez la Central Térmica San Nicolás en una causa por contaminación ambiental". El Ciudadano. September 22, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Página12 (November 10, 2021). "Allanaron la Central Térmica de San Nicolás | Contaminación ambiental". PAGINA12. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Fuerte comunicado de AES Argentina luego que la justicia federal ordenara volver a realizar pruebas ya peritadas". Diario El Norte. January 11, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
Additional data
To access additional data, including interactive maps of the power stations, downloadable datases, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker and the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
