Argentina’s massive blackout on Sunday affects industry, general public

HOUSTON (ICIS)–A massive blackout in Argentina left the entire nation without electrical power on Sunday. The petrochemical industry was affected, although companies were recovering fast, sources said on Monday.

Photo by Tomas F Cuesta/AP/Shutterstock

Information about the blackout was still sketchy on Monday, because of a local holiday in Argentina. Uruguay, a neighbouring country, was also affected, as were areas in the south of Brazil, according to local press reports.

Local Argentina utilities said that thousands of users continued without power in the metropolitan area of ​​Buenos Aires more than 24 hours after the larger blackout.

A source at Petrocuyo, the local polypropylene (PP) producer, said the 130,000 tonne/year Mendoza plant started recovering Sunday evening, while the 180,000 tonne/year Ensenada plant was still waiting on steam supply from YPF, the state-owned refiner.

Recovery of the Petrocuyo plants was expected to be quick, without lengthy disruptions, although evaluation of the incident was still incomplete.

Other petrochemical producers may have been affected, but information was not forthcoming on Monday because of the local holiday.

The secretary of energy, Gustavo Lopetegui, explained during a press conference that the failure occurred in the Litoral Transportation System. There were no warnings that the blackout could spread to the entire supply system.

Failures like the one occurring at 7:07am Sunday occur frequently in the Argentine system, but the events that triggered the generalised blackout are abnormal and need to be investigated, the energy secretary said.

Results of the investigation are expected to surface in about two weeks, Lopetegui said.

Image above shows cars driving during Argentina’s blackout. Photo by Tomas F Cuesta/AP/Shutterstock