During an official mission to Argentina, OLACDE’s executive secretary, Alfonso Blanco Bonilla, met with authorities to discuss issues of interest in the energy sector.
In a meeting with the Undersecretary of Energy Planning, Santiago López Osornio, he discussed the region’s energy prospects, published in OLACDE’s 2021 Energy Outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean, the role of hydroelectric power in energy planning and the RELAC initiative.
Issues related to natural gas were discussed with the Undersecretary of Hydrocarbons, Maggie Videla, reviewing Argentina’s latest actions to strengthen its unconventional gas production, the importance of gas energy integration in the Southern Cone, the dissemination of technologies that help decarbonize the transport sector, and the possibility of cooperating in the reduction of methane emissions in oil and gas fields.
The upcoming OLACDE Governance meetings were also discussed with the Undersecretary of Institutional Coordination, Guillermo Usandivaras.
In this official mission there was also the opportunity for the executive secretary, Alfonso Blanco, to share a dialogue with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of the Republic of Argentina, Santiago Cafiero.
In this dialogue, the agenda of cooperation issues between Argentina and OLACDE was discussed, with emphasis on subregional energy, electricity and gas integration.
The Executive Secretary mentioned the initiatives promoted by OLACDE to strengthen the processes of energy transitions in the region. For his part, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Argentina commented on the importance for his country of developing the gas potential in Vaca Muerta and green hydrogen, particularly in Patagonia.
As Argentina holds the Pro-Tempore Presidency of CELAC, they explored the possibility of a CELAC-OLACDE energy cooperation agenda.
Finally, the Executive Secretary informed the Minister of Foreign Affairs about the preparations for the OLACDE Energy Ministers’ Meeting to be held on December 16 in Panama City.
