UK pureplay solar developer Hive Energy has continued its global expansion by opening another office in South America, this time in Argentina.
And the company has wasted no time in getting started, having already secured one ground-mount solar farm and a further development which Hive claims has a potential size of up to 250MW.
The new office, based in capital Buenos Aires, will be headed by Horacio Lopez Manzitti and follows a similar model that Hive has adopted in other international markets including Dubai, Turkey, Spain and Mexico.
Hive said it had targeted Argentina following its recent elections which brought in a “forward-leaning business-friendly environment” against a backdrop of rolling blackouts and costly energy imports from neighbouring Uruguay, Bolivia, Brazil and Chile.
The developer has also backed the country’s potential for solar development, noting that it has one of the highest irradiation levels in the world yet just 8MW of installed solar as of this summer.
President Mauricio Macri has established a target of installing as much as 1.5GW of solar by 2020 and Hive has looked to position itself at the forefront on this rush, already establishing a supply network and a team of local partners to work on projects.
“Our team is incredibly excited to share our wealth of experience and expertise to help develop the solar capacity and energy capability of Argentina,” Manzitti said.
Giles Redpath, chief executive at Hive Energy, said the firm was excited to be in Buenos Aires.
“Hive has a proven track record of supporting fledgling countries develop their renewable energy portfolio. We have the right team in the right place at the right time to help support a period of growth which will see Argentina overhaul its energy provision,” he added.