Interview: Argentine officials see Chinese-built dams as "dream come true"

The two hydroelectric dams under construction in the southern Argentinean province of Santa Cruz are a "dream come true" for local residents, Harold Bark, minister of Production for Santa Cruz, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

While commenting on the possibilities that the dams will bring to the region, Bark said that "the impact of the dams will last for 50 years. They represent a dream come true as the result of close collaboration between our provincial government and the Argentine on the one hand and the Chinese authorities on the other."

"Their social impact will be good for all residents of Santa Cruz, given the direct and indirect jobs that will be created in the future," he said.

Bark was referring to the two dams whose joint production of 5,000 GWh a year will supply power to over 1.5 million homes in Argentina.

Propelled by the Santa Cruz river, the Kirchner dam and the Cepernic dam will have a capacity of 1,140MW and 600MW, respectively.

According to Bark, benefits will immediately emerge once the construction of the two dams is finished. To illustrate the need for energy in Santa Cruz, he pointed out that only about 250,000 people live in an area with the same size as Spain.

In this context, he values the relation with China.

"Our brotherly links to China are more than important. We are a country that needs many things that China can provide. With all the investments that Beijing is making in Argentina, this relation will grow stronger," he said.

The dams that China is helping to build in southern Argentina have a positive impact on local tourism, employment and trade, local officials said.

The mayor of El Calafate Javier Belloni and the city's secretary of tourism Laura Santiago discussed the impacts of the dams in an interview with Xinhua.

Internationally renowned for its surrounding glaciers, El Calafate is the third largest city in Santa Cruz and also the closest to the two dams currently being built.

According to Belloni, the dams will not only provide energy but also lead the zone's industrial development. "They are among the most eagerly awaited projects in the province. Over 90 percent of our population favors them," he said.

"The dams will mark a new era for both the province and the country. They are generating a lot of expectations," said Belloni. "They will drive up employment and commercial trade. We are delighted to finally complete the dream of the pioneers who first came here 60 or 70 years ago."

The dams are currently being built by a group of companies, including Chinese construction and engineering giant Gezhouba, as well as Argentine state-owned companies Electroingenieria and Hidrocuyo.

The Argentine government will invest more than 4.714 billion U.S. dollars over five years.

Santiago said that "tourism is the main source of revenue in El Calafate, due to its proximity to the Los Glaciares national park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site."

"Tourism has been rising for the last 20 years, with the building of the international airport. We now see 500,000 tourists a year, with the number of Chinese tourists rapidly increasing," she said.

"We have carried out studies of environmental impact. We will never take any actions that could affect tourism as it's our main source of revenue," she added.

"These dams will simply add to what our region has to offer," concluded Santiago, saying the dams will be two more tourist attractions. Endi