Austria-based Elin Energie- versorgung has entered the South American hydro market for the first time, with a ASh155M (US$12.4M) order for the Chimay plant in Peru.

The Chimay project is being developed for EDEGEL, a largely private Chilean utility. It will be sited in a development zone some 300km east of the capital Lima, in an area where more than 30% of the population is currently without electricity.

Elin is contracted to supply a turnkey electrical package which will include two 84MVA generators, control systems, transformers, protection and excitation equipment, switchgear and auxiliary systems, as well as engineering services. Key components will be manufactured at Elin plants in Weiz, Austria.

In finishing the project, the short completion period of 25 months will require ‘perfect project management’, Elin notes, as will the need to work smoothly with the multicultural consortium of European and Latin American companies working on the project.