GAS AND POWER HEAD TO HEAD IN THE ENERGY INTEGRATION OF THE SOUTHERN CONE: SHAPING THE FUTURE

摘要

There is a world wide trend towards regional economic integration, this trend can be clearly perceived in Latin America and in particular in the" Southern Cone" region -Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. Natural gas and power generation have been the driving forces of the regional energy integration. The current infrastructure for gas transportation has accomplished one of the major challenges of the region, to bridge the distance between the producing fields and the markets of demand. The Southern Cone is in the process of becoming the worlds third largest integrated natural gas system. Expansion of the current pipeline network and power transmission lines interconnection will open new alternatives for delivering energy. Countries within the region still have to overcome regulatory issues that prevent the regional energy integration from fully materializing.