Wind Energy

Paraguaná wind farm in Venezuela will be operational in 2011

Paraguana peninsula in Falcon state, located in the northwestern region, about 453 kilometers from the city of Caracas, is the first place in the country where they will launch a wind farm in 2011, a fact which confirms a clean energy supply and quality for Venezuelans.

Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), through the Paraguana Refining Center (CRP), develops the wind energy project framed in the Oil Sowing Plan, which seeks to generate profits for the people making the most of natural resources, in this case, the constant wind in Falcon, characteristic of this region.

The wind farm will be located between Paraguaná populations Amuay and Los Tanks and generate 100 megawatts of electrical power that will join the regional electric system.

The place is an integrated ecological response to new energy standards required by the planet over the deterioration of natural resources, a product of global warming, caused by pollution.

The wind power project aims to reduce consumption of fossil fuels and diversify sources of primary energy for electricity generation in Paraguaná.

Likewise, the construction of the first wind farm in Venezuela aims to promote tourism in the region because will be built also the Wind Museum, a lookout on top of a wind turbine and an inn.

Another sub from the wind farm is an area of 200 hectares for planting and processing of aloe vera, both industrial and artisanal.

It came to the territory of Venezuela’s first wind farm equipment: they are the foundation anchors 24 as a basis to install the first 24 wind turbines from Gamesa.

The 24 anchors out from the port of Bilbao in Spain and reached the port of Guaranao in January. These are teams of 4 meters in diameter and 2.90 meters high each one that will withstand the weight of wind turbines.

The wind farm is designed so that each wind turbine produces about 1.32 megawatts of power, in total 76 wind turbines with an approximate height of 70 meters per unit. The generation of 100 megawatts of wind power will avoid the use of approximately 761 thousand barrels of diesel a year, compared with thermoelectric generators.

Major Projects Team, attached to the Technical Management of CRP, is working on the bid package in order to make the roads and platforms, the foundations of the wind turbines and the contract of Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) for substations park.

It will be during the last quarter of 2010 and the first quarter of 2011 when the rest of the parts and equipment that make up the larger project which will generate clean energy without harmful emissions to the atmosphere.

www.abn.info.ve

By José Santamarta, worldwatch@nodo50.org