Hidroeléctrica El Chocón SA is an hydroelectric generation company, operating El Chocón and Arroyito power plants, located on River Limay. It’s located in the provinces of Neuquén and Río Negro. The total gross installed capacity of this hydroelectric complex is 1,328 MW and includes El Chocón plant, with 1,200MW installed capacity (artificial reservoir's hydroelectric power plant) and Arroyito plant, with 128 MW installed capacity, both plants use the waters of Rivers Limay and Collón Curá for generation.
The gross hydro installed capacity of the Company is 1,328 MW; thermal gross capacity is 35.6 MW and corresponds to motogenerators. Its participation in the SADI is 3.6% in relation to the total installed capacity.
El Chocón is located in the Comahue region, consisting of the Argentinean provinces Río Negro, Neuquén and the southern areas of Buenos Aires provinces, over the Limay River, 80 km upstream from the confluence with Neuquén River. Arroyito is the compensator dam of El Chocón and is located in the same river, 25 km downstream.
The hydrological year starts on April 1, and 2018 has been characterized as dry accordingly the contribution of the hydrological basins of the Rivers Limay and Collón Cura. Net generation recorded for these power plants during the year was 2,898 GWh. This generation comes from 2,282 GWh in Chocón (79%), 577 GWh in Arroyito (20%) and 39 GWh by motogenerators (1%).
The company started 2018 with a level of the reservoir of 377.71 m.s.n.m. The reserve El Chocón dam was 2,159 GWh and in the Comahue was 5,919 GWh. Both amounts were measured in relation the minimum height condition of FOE.
At the end of year 2018, the level of the reservoir reached 377.55 m.s.n.m. The energy reserves of the Comahue dams were 6,083 GWh, 2,168 GWh of which were reserves of El Chocón.
In January 2017, the Secretary of Electric Energy, which is subordinated to the Ministry of Energy and Mining, through Resolution N° 19/2017 updated the remuneration values of Resolution SE N° 22/2016 to be applied from February 2017. During 2018 this regulation remained in force.
The implementation of Resolution SEE N°19/2017 prompted a change in the remuneration of thermal and hydro generators in relation to the previous regulation. The remuneration concepts were simplified, thus considering a capacity charge, which varies in relation to technology and size of the unit, and a variable charge. The values are defined in dollars.
Additionally, since the enactment of Resolution SEE N°19/2017, it was established for thermal units the possi-bility to offer commitments of guaranteed availability, and additional guaranteed availability (DIGO and DIGO Addi-tional respectively) with the same differential remuneration for every technology.
Starting from motogenerators, in 2018 Chocón participated in the Summer Seasonal Programming (from November 1 to April 30), the Winter Seasonal Programming (from May 1 to October 31) and the Summer Seasonal Programming (from November 1 to April 30), of the commitments of guaranteed availability.