Wind Energy

Wind power in Uruguay-New wind map to be developed

The Uruguayan authorities are concentrating their efforts to diversify its energy and raise public awareness about the need for energy efficiency and use of renewable sources. They developed a new wind map and plan to have the technical standards for wind turbine manufacturers and importers ready by the end of the year, with the aim of stimulating the use of wind energy at residential level.

As revealed by the country’s first wind map, developed in 1993, they have potential capable of generating energy in ranges similar to what the hydraulic currently produces. The most efficient places are located on the south of the country, in the coastal zone and in the mountains.

The new map was compiled based on data collected from mobile phone antennas scattered throughout the territory without the recruitment of foreign companies.

Aware of the high cost of their current energy model – spending about U$S 2000 million per year in fuel supplies – they work both from the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mines and from the Department of Energy, to support the introduction of wind farms; a tender for 150 MW of wind power has just been launched, and already has partially approved the project to promote the use of solar thermal energy.

Ed. Deborah Wall

www.energiaeolica.gub.uy/

www.presidencia.gub.uy/_web/decretos/2009/08/931.pdf

www.energiaeolica.gub.uy/index.php

www.auee.com.uy/

www.lawea.org/indexesp.php