Peru?s renewable resources

The Peruvian government aims at strongly reducing the fossil fuel share, also considering that additional capacity will be needed to meet the growing demand and to increase electricity penetration in rural areas.

To this regard, Luis Haro provided information from the Ministry concerning the potential of renewable resources, which are really quite huge.

According to the MEM, the hydroelectric resources that the country can technically and economically harness can generate more than 58,000 MW.

Wind energy resources are also significant, since they are equivalent to over 22,000 MW. Two areas in the departments of Ica and Piura are especially noteworthy, since resources for – respectively – 9,144 MW and 7,554 MW of wind power can be harnessed.

Peru gave green light for the construction of 3 new wind farm plants and 4 solar power plants, for a total capacity of 220 MW, whose concessions had been offered in a bidding tender that was held at the beginning of the year. The plants will be put into service by 2012.

As for the wind turbines farms, whose total capacity will be 140 MW, two of them shall be installed in the northern area of Talara-Guadalupe, while the third wind farm will be build in the southern region of Marcona.

The geothermal potential, estimated in about 3.000 MW, is concentrated in the south.

Haro concluded by saying that, due to its excellent geographic position, Peru can also take up the challenge of solar energy (photovoltaic and solar thermal), which offers a very interesting opportunity for development of the various communities who live in remote areas.

www.enelgreenpower.com

www.evwind.com