Paraguay's state electricity utility ANDE is conducting a study to define a new tariff scheme for both residences and industries that wish to establish themselves in Paraguay. The president of the state-owned company, engineer Miguel Báez, stated that the objective is to establish a single and transparent technical tariff that ensures the company's financial sustainability.
According to Báez, the study for industrial tariffs should be completed within 15 to 20 days, still in August. The new structure will not be based on consumption volume but on the voltage level of the grid connection. "If an industry comes and connects at 500 kV, it knows how much it will pay. Another is at 66 kV, another at 220 kV," he explained. The logic is that tariffs at higher voltages, such as 500 kV, are cheaper because the company connects directly to the transmission grid, saving on transformer investments.
The president of ANDE denied that there are specific negotiations with the company Atome, which planned a green fertilizer project in Villeta. He emphasized that the instruction received is to create a clear rule for all companies, avoiding individualized agreements. "What we will avoid is seeking one tariff for one company and another tariff for another. We want to proceed with transparency," Báez said in an interview with radio Monumental.
In parallel, ANDE will also begin a study to review the residential tariff. Báez highlighted that the "technical tariff" is one that allows covering all the company's costs and ensuring a profit between 8% and 10%, as required by law. He acknowledged that the study's result could lead to an adjustment in the amount paid by consumers. "No one likes the tariff to rise, but we need ANDE to have financial sustainability. This means we have to make the tariff honest and users should pay what actually corresponds," he declared.
Asked about the possibility of long-term fixed tariffs, such as the 10-year term desired by Atome, Báez was categorical: "No, long-term tariffs must have an adjustment factor because times change." He suggested reviews every two or three years. The president also mentioned that 90% of the energy purchased by ANDE comes from Itaipu, and that the current study considers the existing tariff reality with the binational entity, which could be adjusted if there are changes in the future.
A study presented in July by then-president Félix Sosa projected that the average tariff could rise from the current 49.2 US$/MWh to 68.6 US$/MWh in the period 2026-2030, with differentiated values by voltage level. The new ongoing study aims to update these projections and establish a transparent framework for attracting industrial investments.