Interview: In Argentina, Chinese companies have made more progress in renewable energy than Europe

Researcher Juliana González Jauregui discusses China’s role in Argentina’s renewable energy development and looks at possible sources of future investment.

Argentina has been one of the main recipients of Chinese renewable energy products in Latin America over the past decade. Chinese companies have supported many solar and wind projects in Argentina during the country's four changes of government, even before the country joined China's Belt and Road Initiative in 2022.

Despite the investment, Argentina faces major challenges in financing its energy transition as its economy continues to struggle. The country is currently focusing on fossil fuel projects, and Chinese companies have also made a lot of investments in this area.

China is Argentina's second largest trading partner, but relations between the two countries have become tense since the election of Argentina's liberal President Javier Mille in 2023. A series of statements made by Mille and his officials on China have exacerbated the tensions.

Juliana González Jáuregui, a researcher at the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO) and the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), believes that China has played a "decisive" role in Argentina's energy transition so far, however, Argentina has not sought technology transfer or ensured greater added value for domestic industries.

In an interview with Dialogue Earth, González Jáuregui also analyzed China's relationship with provincial governments in Argentina in the context of energy transition, the role of Chinese companies in mergers and acquisitions with other companies, and why US and EU investments in Latin America lag behind China.