San Nicolás power station
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San Nicolás power station (Central Térmica San Nicolás) is an operating power station of at least 675-megawatts (MW) in San Nicolás de los Arroyos, 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, San Nicolás, Buenos Aires, Argentina | -33.35492, -60.172917 (exact)[1] |
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, 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 | Start year | Emergency/Backup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Operating[2] | coal: unknown, fossil gas: natural gas, fossil liquids: fuel oil[3][4][5][6][7][8] | 75[9][10] | subcritical[10] | 1956[9] | no |
| Unit 2 | Operating[2] | coal: unknown, fossil gas: natural gas, fossil liquids: fuel oil[3][4][6][11][7][8] | 75[9][10] | subcritical[10] | 1956[9] | no |
| Unit 3 | Operating[2] | fossil gas: natural gas, fossil liquids: fuel oil[3][11][4][8] | 75[9][10] | steam turbine[10] | 1956[9] | no |
| Unit 4 | Operating[2] | fossil gas: natural gas, fossil liquids: fuel oil[3][11][4][8] | 75[9][10] | steam turbine[10] | 1956[9] | no |
| Unit 5 | Operating | coal: bituminous, fossil gas: natural gas, fossil liquids: fuel oil[6][12][7] | 375 | subcritical | 1983 | no |
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 | Operator | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Central San Nicolás[8] | Global Infrastructure Partners LP [100%][13] | small shareholder(s) [86.3%]; The Vanguard Group Inc [8.7%]; Blackrock Advisors LLC [5.1%] |
| Unit 2 | Central San Nicolás[8] | Global Infrastructure Partners LP [100%][13] | small shareholder(s) [86.3%]; The Vanguard Group Inc [8.7%]; Blackrock Advisors LLC [5.1%] |
| Unit 3 | Central San Nicolás[8] | Global Infrastructure Partners LP [100%][13] | small shareholder(s) [86.3%]; The Vanguard Group Inc [8.7%]; Blackrock Advisors LLC [5.1%] |
| Unit 4 | Central San Nicolás[8] | Global Infrastructure Partners LP [100%][13] | small shareholder(s) [86.3%]; The Vanguard Group Inc [8.7%]; Blackrock Advisors LLC [5.1%] |
| Unit 5 | Central San Nicolás[8] | Global Infrastructure Partners LP [100%][13] | small shareholder(s) [86.3%]; The Vanguard Group Inc [8.7%]; Blackrock Advisors LLC [5.1%] |
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): domestic/imported
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
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.[14]
Today San Nicolás is one of ten power plants operated by AES Argentina[15][16], and it remains one of the country's most versatile power generators, with the capacity to burn coal, fuel oil or natural gas.[17][14][18]
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.[19][20][21] [22]
As of March 2022, coal for the plant was sourced from Colombia, Australia, South Africa, and the Río Turbio Mine in Argentina.[23] As of March 2024, coal was said to be source from Colombia, Australia and South Africa.[24]
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. [25]
The plant's generation has significantly reduced in the recent years from 1,830 GWh in 2021 to 544 GWh in 2024. [26]
Change of ownership
On March 2, 2026, AES Corporation announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by a consortium led by Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a firm operating under BlackRock, and the EQT Infrastructure VI fund, with California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) and Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) as co-underwriters. The transaction was expected to close in late 2026 or early 2027, pending regulatory approvals.[27] As a result of the acquisition, AES Argentina's assets, including the San Nicolás power station and the AES Paraná combined-cycle plant, were set to pass under the control of the consortium led by BlackRock.[28]
Fuel Balance and Planned phase-out of coal
No exact information could be found about the shares of coal, gas and fuel oil for Units 1,2 and 5. However it was presumed that coal is the dominant fuel source of these units. AES Argentina's Sustainability Report for 2023 referred to coal capacity at 450MW, which could indicate that one of the 75MW Units (Unit 1 or Unit 2) was no-longer operating on coal.[29] (although this could not be confirmed).
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.[30] This would be achieved by generating "some kind of scenario in which the plant is no longer necessary." (translated from Spanish). However, there was no detail yet as to whether this objective would be met with the conversion, closure, or sale of the asset.[30]
AES Argentina's Sustainability Report for 2023 asserted that the company intended to achieve zero coal-fired generation in their portfolio by 2025 through asset sales, conversion and retirement of units, while maintaining reliability and affordability. However, a footnote in the report indicated that AES might delay coal phaseout until 2027 to support continued electricity reliability.[29] As of June 2025, an article posted on AES's website continued to assert the company's intention to exit the substantial majority of remaining coal facilities by year-end 2025 and to exit all coal by year-end 2027.[31] However, the website made no specific mention of AES operations in Argentina, and it remained unclear whether the San Nicolás plant would be retired or converted to other fuel, as AES's exit from coal could theoretically be achieved by selling the plant to a new owner.
AES Argentina’s 2024 Sustainability Report no longer made any mention of a retirement date for the San Nicolás plant, leaving the company's intentions unclear. The report noted that coal-fired generation accounted for 15% of total electricity production across the company’s power plants in 2024.[32] Other sources have indicated a gradual decrease in the use of coal at the San Nicolás plant, with 760,858 metric tonnes of coal consumed in 2022, 457,694 metric tonnes in 2023, and 244,992 metric tonnes in 2024.[33][34]
The San Nicolás plant was still burning coal as of 2025, according to a March 2026 filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.[35] As of March 2026, the company's timeline for terminating coal use at the plant remained uncertain. 5:11 PM Following the March 2026 announcement of the acquisition of AES Corporation by a consortium led by Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a firm operating under BlackRock, the previously announced coal phase-out at the San Nicolás plant was reported to remain subject to confirmation by the incoming ownership.[36]
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.[37][38] 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.[39] The disposal of coal ash and liquid waste were the main environmental concerns.[40] In a January 2022 statement, AES maintained that it was complying with all regulations and environmental standards.[41]
Atmospheric emissions at the Central Térmica San Nicolás (CTSN) were reported to have declined by approximately 1.6 times, falling to about 3,610 tonnes in 2024 compared with around 5,640 tonnes in 2023, in line with the reduction in electricity generation during the same period. Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) accounted for the largest share of emissions at the Central Térmica San Nicolás, totaling approximately 1,844 tonnes in 2024.[42]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ "Central Termoeléctrica San Nicolás - AES Generación Argentina · Roque Sáenz Peña, Esperanza, Santa Fe, Argentina". Google Maps. Archived from the original on 2024-01-25.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/874761/000087476123000010/aes-20221231.htm.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "AES Corporation ››Latin America" (PDF). AES Corporation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2024-01-25.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Consumo de Combustibles para generación eléctrica". Ministerio de Economía / Energía. Archived from the original on 2024-01-25.
- ↑ (PDF) https://d18rn0p25nwr6d.cloudfront.net/CIK-0000874761/de34f85b-00af-427f-92a0-d6185393538f.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 (PDF) https://www1.aesargentina.com.ar/sites/aesargentina/files/2025-09/AES-Argentina-Reporte-Sostenibilidad-2024.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 https://www.gem.wiki/Coal_source_methodology_for_the_Global_Coal_Plant_Tracker.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20240125085623/https://openjicareport.jica.go.jp/pdf/11674058_04.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2024-01-25.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 "Con una Inversión de $30 MilloneAES Argentina Celebra el 50 Aniversario de Central Térmica San Nicolás". EnerNews. 2006-11-14. Archived from the original on 2024-01-25.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 https://web.archive.org/web/20240125100134/http://mepriv.mecon.gov.ar/Agua_y_Energia/Produccion-SanNicolas.htm. Archived from the original on 2024-01-25.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20240225050953/https://sec.report/Document/0000874761-22-000022/. Archived from the original on 2024-02-25.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://openjicareport.jica.go.jp/pdf/11674082_04.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 https://www.laopinionline.ar/san-nicolas-el-gigante-blackrock-compro-AES-y-toma-control-de-activos.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 14.0 14.1 "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) - ↑ "Capítulo 3 ENERGÍA ELÉCTRICA" (PDF). openjicareport.jica.go.jp. 2020.
{{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) - ↑ "Fitch Affirms AES Argentina's IDR at 'CCC-'". /www.fitchratings.com/. March 2024.
{{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 Argentina Financial Statements Q4 2024" (PDF). aesargentina.com.ar. 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Consortium Led by Global Infrastructure Partners and EQT Agrees to Acquire AES". PR Newswire. March 2, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "San Nicolás: El gigante BlackRock compró AES y toma control de activos energéticos clave en Argentina". La Opinión OnLine. March 5, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 29.0 29.1 "2023 Sustainability Report (p 52)" (PDF). AES Argentina. 2024-08-31.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 30.0 30.1 "AES dejará en 2026 de generar electricidad con carbón en su Central Térmica de San Nicolás". Mejor Energía. June 21, 2023.
- ↑ "Accelerating responsible and just energy transitions". AES. 2023-12-18. Retrieved June 2025.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "AES Argentina Reporte de Sostenibilidad 2024" (PDF). AES Argentina. September 2025. Retrieved Jan 14, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Estados financieros consolidados de AES Argentina Generación S.A. y Subsidiarias correspondientes al ejercicio finalizado el 31 de diciembre de 2024, p. 16" (PDF). AES Argentina. April 2025. Retrieved Jan 15, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Estados financieros consolidados de AES Argentina Generación S.A. y Subsidiarias correspondientes al ejercicio finalizado el 31 de diciembre de 2023, p. 13" (PDF). AES Argentina. November 2023. Retrieved Jan 15, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "AES Corporation Form 10-K For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2025 (p 29)" (PDF). United States Securities and Exchange Commission. 2026-03-02.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "BlackRock llega al mercado energético argentino con la compra global de AES". iProfesional. March 4, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "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) - ↑ "AES Argentina Reporte de Sostenibilidad 2024" (PDF). AES Argentina. September 2025. Retrieved Jan 14, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
Additional data
To access additional data, including interactive maps of the power stations, downloadable datasets, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker and the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
