China Eximbank provides $1 billion USD for Rositas Hydroelectric Power Plant in Bolivia

Project narrative

On January 6, 2016, the National Electricity Company (Empresa Nacional de Electricidad SA (ENDE Corporacion)), officially signed the contract for the Rositas Hydroelectric Power Generation Project ("PROYECTO HIDROELÉCTRICO ROSITAS"). The project was originally proposed in October 2015 and aims to serve as a supply of drinking water, source of energy production, provider of water for irrigation. In early 2016 the China EXIM Bank provided $1 billion USD to the National Electric Company for the Rositas Hydroelectric Power Plant in Grande River in Santa Cruz District. In May, a presentation and opening of proposals to begin the construction processes of the project was held by ENDE Corporacion in Cochabamba. According to ENDE, the EXIM Bank loan covers around 85% of the project, with the other 15% covered by Bolivia's own resource. It has a referential term of 7 years. The ENDE Report "Complejo Hidroeléctrico Río Grande‐Rositas" outlines project, contract, and early timeline details for the expected 400 MW-600 MW project. Some project details include Francis vertical axis turbines, a design flow rate of 4 x 105 m3/s, and an estimated annual average energy production of 2030 GWh. According to Los Tiempos, the area site will take up 45,000 hectares of reservoir, but in turn allow the irrigation of 165,000 hectares of productive land. According to CEDLA, ENDE awarded the project contract to la Asociación Accidental Rositas (AAR), which is a joint venture between China International Water & Electric, China Three Gorges Corporation y Empresa Constructora REEDCO SRL. Another company known as Corani Electric Company will also be handling the project. It was postponed in 2018 due to the surrounding communities and indigenous people in the area rejecting the project due to the lack of recompense for those who would be flooded out of the area. According to activists, the project would affect livestock and agriculture of 10 communities nearby, liquidating the flora, fauna and the communities of Arenales, Vadoo del Yeso, Masicurí, Los Peñones, La Junta, Piraimiri, Laja Toco and the canyons of the Grande River. According to them, “Neither ENDE nor the government have a plan to relocate the people; they don't explain at all where to take them, nor have they all been consulted if they want to leave their communities. ENDE executive president Joaquín Rodríguez emphasized that it might be possible to persuade the communities and resume the project.” But as of 2019, the Rositas dam project had been formally suspended amid protests against the project’s lack of prior consultation with affected communities. In 2019 President Evo Morales expressed willingness to propose a referendum during the general election to consider restarting this project but the referendum did not materialize. In 2024, the Bolivian government reportedly launched a request for porposal for a consulting firm that could oversee social management and the environmental impact evaluation study.