Perspectives for Interaction Between the Scientific and Technological Community and Other Players in the Energy System in Argentina
Authors: Piluso Horacio , Plaza Alejandro 
Published: December 2007

Perspectives for Interaction Between the Scientific and Technological Community and Other Players in the Energy System in Argentina.

1. Summary:

In this Issue the Argentine energy system main features are analyzed, with particular attention to the natural gas and electricity after the privatization process. Likewise, the Science & Technology Sector, its ruling system and possibility of performance in a redefined State's economic role, context, is described. There also some comments on the cases of the developed countries where the R & D planning is of great importance. To evaluate the integration and the general optimization of the different efforts a proposal of assignment model is done. Finally, to show the practical feasibility of the model, it is shown a simple outline of its application to the Energy Master project.

2. Introduction:

During the last few years Argentina had a strong State participation in the energy business. There were a lot of examples like "Y.P.F." in petroleum, "Gas del Estado" in natural gas, "Y.C.F." in carbon, "S.EG.B.A.", "Hidronor", "Agua y Energia" and the provincial enterprises, in electricity, and "C.N.E.A." in nuclear energy. In this strongly dirigist context these enterprises were deeply involved in the science and technology areas, Either specifically or through agreements with universities, from which one of the most relevant cases is that of the Institutes with the University of Buenos Aires related to the public services. Since the privatization of the energy sector in 1991 the previous conditions had left free way to interaction of supply and demand in this field. Without judging the values of both systems, there is no doubt that, considering the actual state of the agents of the Science & Technology Sector and his potentiality of development there are systematic obstacles to do it. The assignment model proposed gives a general and analytical frame to study every stage of the project and the issues to have in mind for the partial and overall optimal assignation.

3. Components of the Energy System: Natural Gas and Electricity in Argentina.

As it was previously said, in the natural gas sector the agents were "Y.P.F." in production and "Gas del estado" in distribution and retailing trading, being the Secretariat of Energy the application authority.

In the new system, law No 24076 establishes a set of objectives for the transport and distribution of natural gas regulation, creating for the execution and control the "Ente Nacional Regulador del Gas" ("E.NA.R.GAS.").

Those objectives are:Provide protection to the consumer's rights.Promote the competitivity of the supply and demand markets and encourage investments to make sure the long term supply.Promote better operation, reliability, free access, no discrimination, and generalized use of services and gas transport and distribution systems.Regulate natural gas transport and distribution watching for the application of adecuated prices According to the law.Encourage the efficiency in the transport, storage, distribution and final use of natural gas.Encourage the natural gas rational use, watching for the environment protection.Promote to supply price by equivalent to the international prices in countries with similar stock of conditions and resources.