The Americas Energy

The growth of the mining sector, driven by a sharp rise in commodity prices, spurred Peru’s economy to the fastest sustained growth rate in Latin America during much of the past decade. The sector drew in billions of dollars in investment and drove the emergence of a new middle class with levels of disposable income that had never been achieved in Peru.

of rapid transformation. Energy demand was still low ten years ago when the country depended almost entirely on hydroelectric power in addition to petroleum imports to meet its needs. At that time, Peru still had limited oil production, no production of natural gas and little to speak of in terms of energy exports. Today, by contrast, the country is among the leading producers...

Since starting production of large quantities of natural gas at the Camisea field in 2004, Peru has primarily burned its gas production in thermoelectric plants or, since 2010, exported it in liquefied form. Both the government and Peruvian industry are now turning their attention toward developing higher-value end uses of natural gas. The most significant is the...

Peru’s energy sector presents a large number of opportunities despite the continuing salience of various political obstacles. Peru’s energy resources, particularly natural gas and hydroelectric potential, exceed the country’s current demand for energy and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The country has around 60,000 MW of total hydroelectric potential...