Uruguay began importing energy from Brazil to reduce the increase in energy production costs caused by the drought affecting the country, the state-owned company UTE informed yesterday, Monday.
“Hydraulic generation in these days in the country is low” because “the rains of the last few days have not improved the situation of the reservoirs”, said the president of UTE, Silvia Emaldi.
Meanwhile, “wind power production is very low and is used to cover some peaks in demand”, she said in an interview with local television channel 12.
“Therefore, the thermal power plants are also turned on to provide the service, and yesterday (Sunday), the activities of importing energy from the country began,” Emaldi said.
“About 500 megawatts are being imported,” a quarter of the 2,000 megawatts of peak consumption, he added.
He added that “this allows total or partial savings in thermal production in the country” and that “the costs are half of what it is to produce thermal energy”.
“We estimate a saving of some 800,000 dollars per day if the forecasts we are making concerning demand are given,” commented Emaldi.
The official pointed out that the demand “is high,” noting that in January, it is 5 percent above that of the same month in 2022.
Last month the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture, and Fisheries declared an agricultural emergency due to the lack of rain in October for the third consecutive year.
However, this affects the whole country for the first time in years.
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