Consortium will begin a study that will define the investment mechanism of the Chinecas project

The Private Investment Promotion Agency (PROINVERSIÓN) signed with the “Consortium LSH Consulting Engineers SAC – Agua Energía y Minería Ingenieros Consultores SA” (Peruvian – German companies) the contract to prepare pre-investment studies that allow defining the feasibility and mechanism investment of the Chinecas irrigation project, in Áncash.

The vice minister of Development of Family Agriculture and Agrarian Infrastructure and Irrigation, Christian Barrantes, the regional governor of Áncash, Fabian Koki Noriega and the executive director of PROINVESIÓN, José Salardi, participated in the signing of the contract.

With this, PROINVERSIÓN together with the ministries of Economy and Finance (MEF) and Agrarian Development and Irrigation (MIDAGRI), as well as the Regional Government of Áncash, take an important step to make this mega irrigation project a reality that could increase agroindustrial production in US$ 1.5 billion annually and generate 150,000 new jobs.

The pre-investment studies will be carried out within a period of 14 months and will allow obtaining the declaration of viability of the project. On that basis, the evaluation report will be prepared that will define whether the project is developed through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) within the framework of a promotion process or if it is a public work.

If the first scenario occurs, PROINVERSIÓN would be in charge of designing and conducting the structuring and transaction phases of the project, as well as the tender that will allow the development of Chinecas to be awarded to a specialized concessionaire.

The project will require an investment of more than US$ 700 million, allowing water to be diverted from the Santa River to incorporate 50,000 hectares of new land and improve irrigation in another 33,000 hectares in the valleys and intervals of Santa Lacramarca, Nepeña, Casma and Huarmey. Likewise, the resource will be used to supply population use in the localities within the area of ​​influence and in the hydroelectric exploitation that is viable.

Currently, the Chinecas project has a set of works built and in operation, these are two intakes on the Santa River, canals and tunnels with extension to the Nepeña valley. Meanwhile, a new main intake and reservoirs will be built to regulate the waters of the Santa River and the extension of its main channels to the Casma and Huarmey valleys.

The signing of the contract has taken place within the framework of the inter-institutional agreement signed in 2023 between PROINVERSIÓN and the Regional Government of Áncash through which the agency is in charge of the selection, contracting and monitoring of the pre-investment technical studies, supervision and the Report of Evaluation.

Under the agreement, all PROINVERSIÓN interventions will be carried out in coordination with the Regional Government of Ancash and the Chinecas Special Project, which during the study stage will become the Project Formulating Unit.