Why Peru in 2026
Four kinds of work keep Peruvian HVAC contractors busy: shopping centres and mixed-use buildings in Lima, public hospitals, transit and data centre projects around the capital, and mining in the south. Lima work is mostly rectangular duct for comfort air conditioning, ventilation and smoke control. Mining work is heavier: round and rectangular extract duct, thicker gauges and more welding.
Malls and commercial building in Lima
Peru Retail listed eight shopping centre projects due to open in the second half of 2026, six of them in Lima. They include Las Vegas Plaza in Puente Piedra (more than 47,000 m² built and over 350 units), The Square in Surco, Lomas Plaza in Rímac, the Jockey Premium Outlet at the corner of the Panamericana and Javier Prado, and the mixed-use Marina City Center in San Miguel. Cenco Malls has also confirmed two new centres in Lima, in Miraflores and San Juan de Lurigancho. Malls are good duct shop work: long runs of rectangular supply and return duct, kitchen extract for food courts, and car park and smoke extraction. Peru's ventilation norm EM.030 points designers to NFPA 92B for smoke management in malls, atria and large spaces, and to NFPA 96 for commercial kitchen extract.
Healthcare
The largest hospital job in Lima is the new Hospital Nacional Sergio E. Bernales in Comas, a category III-1 hospital with at least 710 beds, built under a government-to-government agreement with France and managed by PRONIS, the Ministry of Health's investment programme. Hospital design in Peru follows the MINSA technical health standards for infrastructure and equipment: NTS 110 for second-level facilities (approved by RM 660-2014/MINSA and amended in December 2024) and NTS 119 for third-level hospitals. Operating theatres, isolation rooms and laboratories need tightly sealed, often stainless ductwork; see our cleanroom duct guide and galvanised vs stainless comparison.
Transit, airport and data centres
- Metro Line 2, Lima and Callao: an underground line whose first stretch, Stage 1A, is already running. In April 2026 civil works were complete on 19 of the line's 28 ventilation shafts, with 9 more on the branch to Line 4. Stations, depots and control buildings all need ventilation and air conditioning.
- Jorge Chávez airport: the new passenger terminal opened on 1 June 2025 and, according to the operator, handled more than 26 million passengers in its first year or so. Airport-related offices, cargo and logistics buildings follow a terminal of that size.
- Data centres in Lurín: south of Lima, Lurín holds about two thirds of the city's roughly 33 MW of installed data centre capacity, according to Schneider Electric figures reported by Revista Economía. GTD has announced a USD 13 million second phase at its Lurín campus. White space often uses room or in-row cooling, but electrical rooms, battery rooms and offices still need sheet metal; see our data centre duct guide.
Mining in Arequipa, Moquegua and Cusco
Southern Peru produces a large share of the country's copper. Arequipa is home to Cerro Verde, Moquegua to Anglo American's Quellaveco, and Cusco to Antapaccay and Hudbay's Constancia. The biggest construction job is Southern Copper's Tía María in Arequipa's Islay province, a project of about USD 1.8 billion that reported 42% progress in the second quarter of 2026, with first cathodes targeted for the second half of 2027 and capacity of 120,000 tonnes a year. A mine's main airways are tunnels and shafts, so the steadier duct shop work is above ground: dust extraction at crushing and conveying, ventilation for plants, workshops and electrical rooms, and HVAC for camps and offices. That work favours thicker galvanised or stainless sheet, larger round duct and welded seams.
Standards and codes for ductwork in Peru
Peru does not have a national standard that sets sheet metal duct construction details such as gauges, seams and reinforcement. The building regulation sets the design framework and refers to American standards, and the project specification names the construction standard.
- EM.030 Instalaciones de Ventilación: part of the Reglamento Nacional de Edificaciones (RNE), updated by Resolución Ministerial 232-2020-VIVIENDA. It is mandatory nationwide for the design, construction, installation and operation of mechanical ventilation in spaces for permanent human occupation, and is applied together with EM.050 for air conditioning. Where it is silent, it refers to ASHRAE 90.1, ASHRAE 52.2, ASHRAE 62.2, NFPA 101, NFPA 91, NFPA 92B and NFPA 96. It also sets minimum ventilation and extract rates and includes an article on altitude, which matters in the Andes.
- EM.050 Instalaciones de Climatización: the RNE norm with the general construction specifications for air conditioning installations.
- SMACNA: Peruvian project specifications for mechanical installations commonly state that ducts follow SMACNA recommendations. Gauge tables, joint types, reinforcement and leakage classes therefore usually come from the SMACNA HVAC Duct Construction Standards, so your machines need to produce TDF or angle flange joints, Pittsburgh and snaplock seams to those tables. See our gauge chart and air leakage classes guide.
- E.030 Diseño Sismorresistente: Peru's seismic design norm, last amended in 2018 by RM 355-2018-VIVIENDA, has a chapter on non-structural elements, appendages and equipment. The project engineer sets supports and bracing; the duct shop delivers sections whose joints and reinforcement line up with them. Our hangers and supports guide covers the basics.
- MINSA NTS 110 and NTS 119: the health infrastructure standards described above, for clinics and hospitals.
- Materials: galvanised sheet sold in Peru is typically supplied to ASTM A653 or JIS G 3302, in thicknesses from about 0.40 to 2.00 mm. Specify thickness in millimetres as well as gauge, because commercial sheet thicknesses and SMACNA gauges do not always match.
Importing duct machinery into Peru
- Ad valorem duty: SUNAT lists three levels, 0%, 6% and 11%, set by the 10-digit national subheading. Duct forming and folding machines usually fall under HS heading 8462 or 8463. Many capital goods subheadings carry 0%, and a trade agreement with a valid certificate of origin can also bring duty to zero, but we do not quote a rate here: ask your agente de aduanas to classify the machine first.
- IGV and IPM: imports pay IGV at 16% plus the Impuesto de Promoción Municipal at 2%, 18% in total, calculated on the customs value plus duty. For a business registered for IGV, the import tax is normally recoverable as a tax credit; confirm with your accountant.
- Percepción del IGV: SUNAT may collect an advance of 3.5%, 5% or 10% at import, which the importer later credits against its IGV.
- Ports: Callao serves Lima. Matarani, in Arequipa, is the main port of the south and ships much of the region's mining cargo; ask your forwarder whether a container service to Matarani suits your shipment. Tell us the port nearest your workshop when you request a quotation. Our importing guide covers the general paperwork, and we prepare the commercial invoice, packing list and origin documents your broker asks for.
Power supply: 220 V, 60 Hz
Peru's grid runs at 60 Hz, and the standard low-voltage supply is 220 V. Lima distributors such as Luz del Sur offer low-voltage connections at 220 V, including three-phase. Three-phase motors sold in Peru are commonly rated 220/380/440 V at 60 Hz, because workshops and industrial sites may be supplied at any of those voltages. A 50 Hz machine runs at the wrong speed and its motors and drives may overheat, so measure the three-phase voltage at your workshop and tell us; we wire the motors, drives and control transformer to suit. See also duct machine voltage and frequency by country.
Typical Peruvian shop set-ups and the machines that fit
Lima contractor shop, rectangular duct for fit-outs
Many Peruvian HVAC installers make their own rectangular duct for offices, shops and apartments. A practical first set is a Rectangular Duct Line II SBAL-II or an Auto Duct Line SBAL-III, which feed, bead, notch and shear sheet from coil, then a Pittsburgh lockformer (SBLC series) for longitudinal seams, a TDF flange forming machine for the transverse joints, and a pneumatic folder or TDF folder. That set covers straight duct, TDF joints and simple fittings with a small crew, and it replaces most of the hand marking, cutting and folding that slows manual shops.
Volume shop for malls, hospitals and metro packages
Shops bidding for mall, hospital and metro packages need output and consistent joints over thousands of square metres. The Auto Duct Line SBAL-V is a U-shape line that runs from coil to finished panel with TDF, angle flange or drive cleat ends. Add a Duct Zipper SBHF-1.5×1500TDF to close seams, an auto corner making machine and a pneumatic corner inserting machine for TDF corners, a Plasma Cutter SBPC1550 to cut fittings from nested drawings, and a hydraulic folder for heavier gauges and long bends.
Southern shop serving mining
For Arequipa, Moquegua and Cusco, plan for thicker sheet and more round duct. A plasma cutter rated to 4 mm, a hydraulic folder, a Spiral Tubeformer SBTF-2020 for diameters up to Φ2500 mm, and a seam welder or Automatic Stitchwelder SB-ZF1500 for welded round duct cover most dust extraction and plant ventilation work. The stainless duct forming machine suits corrosive or wet duty.
Round duct
Spiral duct suits exposed ceilings, car parks, warehouses and industrial extract. The Spiral Tubeformer SBTF-1500 or SBTF-1602 forms round duct, and the Spiral Duct Flanging Machine SBFB-1600 turns flanges on round duct ends. For a real example, see Kavanagh Industries in Sydney, which added an SBTF-1602 in October 2026.
Labour, space and altitude
Labour. Supreme Decree 015-2026-TR raised Peru's minimum monthly wage (remuneración mínima vital) from S/ 1,130 to S/ 1,230 from 1 October 2026, with a further step to S/ 1,300 planned for the first half of 2027. Skilled duct fitters and welders earn more. An auto duct line lets one or two operators produce straight duct that would otherwise need several people on a shear, notcher and folder, freeing skilled fitters for fittings and site work.
Space. Plan the floor from the spec sheet footprints. The SBAL-V U-shape line occupies about 14.5 m by 5 m and draws about 40 kW. Add coil storage, a fitting and assembly area, insulation and sealing, and a dispatch bay with truck access. Send us your building dimensions and we return a machine layout with the quotation; our factory layout guide has worked examples.
Altitude. Arequipa sits at roughly 2,300 m and Cusco at about 3,400 m, and many mine sites are higher. Standard motor ratings assume installation up to 1,000 m, so tell us your altitude and we check motor, drive and hydraulic cooling margins.
Working with Taokron from Peru
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- Wired for your three-phase 60 Hz supply
- Installation and commissioning quoted per engineer-day
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FAQ
Which ductwork standards are used in Peru?
Peru has no national standard that sets sheet metal duct construction details. The Reglamento Nacional de Edificaciones (RNE) sets the design framework: EM.030 Instalaciones de Ventilación, updated by Resolución Ministerial 232-2020-VIVIENDA, is mandatory nationwide for mechanical ventilation and is applied together with EM.050 Instalaciones de Climatización for air conditioning. Where EM.030 is silent it refers to ASHRAE 90.1, ASHRAE 52.2, ASHRAE 62.2 and NFPA standards such as NFPA 91, NFPA 92B and NFPA 96. For the duct itself, Peruvian project specifications commonly state that construction follows SMACNA. Seismic supports fall under the non-structural elements chapter of E.030, and hospitals follow the MINSA technical health standards NTS 110 and NTS 119. Always build to the documents named in the project specification.
What voltage and frequency do duct machines need in Peru?
Peru's grid runs at 60 Hz and the standard low-voltage supply is 220 V, including 220 V three-phase connections from the Lima distributors. Three-phase motors sold in Peru are commonly rated 220/380/440 V at 60 Hz, because workshops and industrial sites may be supplied at any of those voltages. Measure the three-phase voltage at your workshop and tell us; we wire the motors, drives and control transformer to suit. A 50 Hz machine will not run correctly without changes.
What taxes apply when importing duct machinery into Peru?
SUNAT lists three ad valorem duty levels, 0%, 6% and 11%, set by the 10-digit national subheading, plus IGV at 16% and the Impuesto de Promoción Municipal at 2%, a combined 18%. A percepción del IGV of 3.5%, 5% or 10% may also be collected at import as an advance. Duct forming and folding machines usually fall under HS heading 8462 or 8463, but the duty depends on the exact subheading and on whether a trade agreement applies with a valid certificate of origin, so ask your agente de aduanas to confirm before you budget.
Where is ductwork demand in Peru coming from in 2026?
In Lima the main sources are shopping centres and mixed-use projects, with several malls due to open in the second half of 2026; hospitals such as the new Hospital Nacional Sergio E. Bernales in Comas; Metro Line 2; and data centres in Lurín. In the south, copper mining in Arequipa, Moquegua and Cusco needs dust extraction and plant ventilation duct, and Southern Copper's Tía María project in Arequipa was 42% complete in the second quarter of 2026, with first cathodes targeted for the second half of 2027.
Do duct machines need changes for Arequipa or Cusco altitude?
Possibly. Standard motor ratings assume installation up to 1,000 m. Arequipa sits at roughly 2,300 m and Cusco at about 3,400 m, and many mine sites are higher. Thinner air cools motors, drives and hydraulic packs less well, so tell us the altitude of your workshop and we check motor, drive and cooling margins before the machine is built.
Which machines should a new Peruvian duct shop start with?
A contractor shop making rectangular duct for offices, retail and fit-outs usually starts with a rectangular duct line or auto duct line, a Pittsburgh lockformer, a TDF flange former and a folder. Add a duct zipper and corner machines as TDF volume grows, a plasma table for fittings, and a spiral tubeformer when round duct becomes regular work. Send your duct sizes, gauges and monthly output and a Taokron engineer will propose a machine set within 12 hours.
