RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The International Energy Agency (IEA) ranked Uruguay fourth in the world and first in Latin America in wind and photovoltaic generation during 2018.
As a result, the country was positioned behind Denmark, Lithuania, and Luxembourg and ahead of Germany and other northern European countries by the international organization founded by the OECD.
The only South American country to join Uruguay in the top spots is Chile, which ranked 20th. According to the index, Uruguay generates 35 percent of its energy from wind and about three percent from solar panels.
During 2018, 97 percent of the electricity produced in the country was based on renewable sources, adding hydraulic energy and biomass (from the Montes del Plata and UPM plants). In 2017, the percentage was even higher, accounting for approximately 98 percent.
The owner of SEG Ingeniería, Ernesto Elenter, told El Observador that if only wind energy produced were taken into account, Uruguay could have ranked third.
“In Uruguay, wind energy was prioritized because there are good winds and although it has a good solar variation, it is not the best resource for the costs of this technology – in reference to solar panels. Whenever we attend an international conference our country is viewed as an international reference both for the percentage it has in renewables as for the way the transformation process was conducted, with competitive bids,” said the expert in energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Source: El Observador