Overview
- On Friday, July 31, 2026 Mendoza formally received the Los Nihuiles hydroelectric complex from HINISA, ending the transition period and starting a 90‑day technical collaboration with the outgoing operator.
- The province and the national government will run a joint national and international public tender to grant a 30‑year concession for all four plants, with a binational council using a scoring formula to evaluate bids.
- Two of the four plants (Nihuil 2 and 3) remain offline after the January 2025 flood; cleanup and preliminary repairs are complete but turbine regeneration and final commissioning remain and are expected to require roughly USD 200 million in initial investment.
- Pampa Energía (through HINISA) returned the assets and is allowed to participate in the new bidding round while opposition lawmakers have demanded legislative reports on royalties, worker continuity, and risks to provincial control.
- Los Nihuiles supplies about 290 MW of installed capacity across four plants and several reservoirs, so the tender and rehabilitation will affect Mendoza’s near‑term generation, royalty income, and local employment as operators restore output.