Tocoma to add 160 megawatts in 90 days to bolster Venezuelan power grid

The Tocoma hydroelectric power plant in Venezuela's Bolívar state is undergoing reactivation, with plans to add 160 megawatts (MW) to the national electric system within the next 90 days.

This initiative is part of a broader project to recover the country's power generation capacity. The U.S. Embassy in Caracas announced the initial scope of the work, noting it stems from an agreement between Venezuela and the Argentine-U.S. company IMPSA. IMPSA and CorpoelecInfo signed a contract to rehabilitate and modernize both the Tocoma and Macagua hydroelectric plants.

The ultimate goal is to boost the combined generation capacity of these plants to 2,640 MW. The U.S. Embassy stated that this project aligns with a three-phase plan by the U.S. administration for Venezuela, focusing on stabilization, economic recovery, and democratic transition.

This development follows Venezuela's government signing an addendum to its contract with IMPSA to resume work on the Tocoma infrastructure, which had been paralyzed for years. The announcement comes as the government continues to urge citizens to conserve electricity, amid persistent power outages and fluctuations across the country.

IMPSA president Jorge Rafael Salcedo thanked the U.S. State Department and Department of Energy for their support, highlighting the project's significance for the Latin American energy sector. Venezuela's Minister of Electric Energy, Rolando Alcalá, stated that the completion of Tocoma would extend beyond electricity generation, contributing to industrial development in Bolívar state and enhancing the stability of the Guayana hydroelectric complex's reservoir system. Tocoma's construction began in 2007 but remained unfinished, with work halted when the project was reportedly 87.19% complete.

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The first stage will add 160 MW in 90 days to strengthen Venezuela's electrical grid. The goal is to reach a combined capacity…