Overview
- TotalEnergies opened a two-turbine, 9 MW wind park at Río Cullen after more than $60 million in spending with partners Wintershall Dea and Pan American Energy, and contractor Dreicon hired local workers from Río Grande.
- The site operates as an isolated hybrid that pairs wind generation with battery storage in a province outside Argentina’s main grid, which the company describes as a first for this type of operation.
- The renewable power replaces electricity the plants produced by burning gas, which lets that fuel move into the national market and is expected to cut Cuenca Austral emissions by about 55% over the concession.
- The wind-backed system supplies the Río Cullen and Cañadón Alfa gas-processing plants that handle output from Cuenca Marina Austral 1, a hub that covers about one-fifth of Argentina’s gas, and Total reports more than 20 million cubic meters per day from the province.
- Looking ahead, the company says it is assessing Neuquén projects, including in Vaca Muerta, for Argentina’s new RIGI investment incentives.