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NEWS
URUGUAY
50 MW for Libertador I awarded
VENTI ENERGÍA SA and INNOVENT SA, both IMPSA´s subsidiaries, awarded a wind power generation contract from a bid promoted by the Government of Uruguay through UTE (Administración Nacional de Usinas y Transmisiones Eléctricas). The development of the 50 MW Libertador I wind farm requires an investment of USD 121 million.
It is sited in the departments of Lavalleja and Maldonado, some 10 km from the city of Minas. Commencement of construction is expected to begin late this year and be ready to go into operation in around 18 months. More than 1800 direct and indirect jobs will be created during the construction stage.
The power generated by the wind farm will supply renewable energy to more than 68,000 households in the region, which will result in a reduction of some 190,000 tons of CO2 emissions a year.
With this new undertaking Uruguay reiterates its commitment to renewable energies by the wind energy development. This is the first IMPSA wind farm in Uruguay,
BRAZIL
580,000 MWh/yr more from wind energy
Alstom signed a contract worth nearly €200 million to build and service three wind farms in Brazil for Brasventos S.A., a special purpose company composed of J. Malucelli Energia (51%), Eletrobras Eletronorte (24,5%) and Eletrobras Furnas (24,5%). The wind farms will be located in Rio Grande do Norte State (northeast region) with a forecast production of 580,000 MWh per year, enough to power more than 100,000 households and save more than 300,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.
The scope of the order includes the supply, installation and commissioning and long-term servicing of ECO 86 wind turbines. The wind farms will be equipped with a system enabling local and remote access to wind turbine data for optimized operation and maintenance. The wind turbine generators will be manufactured in a new manufacturing plant in Bahia, Brazil, combined with partial supplies from a plant in Buñuel, Spain.
The wind farms will feature Alstom´s ECO 86 wind turbines, ideally suited for the region's medium to high wind conditions and complex coastal terrain.
The project will support the government's commitment to develop Brazil's wind power market.
BRAZIL
First country in Latin America reaching 1GW
For the first time in its history, the South American country has reached the milestone of 1,000 MW of installed wind capacity. 1GW mark was reached after the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL) authorized the Cidreira Elebrás (70 MW) farms in Tramandaí, Rio Grande do Sul, to begin commercial operations. The wind farm is the fiftieth Elebrás Cidreira in Brazil and part of the Incentive Program for Alternative Sources of Energy (PROINFA). With 31 turbines, this new plant is operated by Elebrás Projetos, owned by Grupo EDP. According to ANEEL, Brazil now has 1,006 MW of installed capacity approved, representing 0.87% of the country's total installed capacity of 115 GW. 429 projects in wind energy have registered for the upcoming auction of wind power capacity amounting to 10.9 GW. The country also has another 927 MW under construction.
VENEZUELA
Power prices in ramping phase
Power prices will boost as much as 200 percent to counter rising demand after a blackout affected several thousand megawatts of capacity in the western state of Zulia.
Bills will rise threefold for residential users that are consuming 20 percent more power compared with 2009 levels after a July 15 deadline. Power bills will rise 10 percent in the first month and five percent in each successive month for industrial users that don't reduce usage a 10%.
a severe drought last yearstrained power grid up to threatened to halt its largest hydroelectric plant, which prompted the government to reduce steel production, impose rolling blackouts and set fines for large consumers. Increasing demand is outpacing new generation capacity.
Industrial users defined as high energy consumers by the government and which have their own generators must use them for up to nine hours a day and those companies that do not have generators must purchase them by the end of the year.
Venezuela's government will exempt some clients from the new regulations including oil, food and media companies. Exemptions will also be provided to embassies, airports, hospitals, police stations and schools. The country is planning to increase generation capacity by 9,172 megawatts by 2012 and is also working to improve maintenance of transmission lines.
CHILE
Renewable energies are financially competitive
A report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) said that unconventional renewables are already economically competitive in Chile. One of the main conclusions is that by 2030 nearly all technologies of this industry will be cheaper than those based on fossil fuels. Experts say the study also warns of a major source of employment. Traditional options "are not necessarily safer or more affordable for the future." Another conclusion is that a significant reduction in costs will come from the hand of solar technologies.
Bloomberg's report reveals that in addition to the discussion on the environmental impact of this type of energy, the future of business is round. The document was presented to the Committee of Mines and Energy of the Senate and to the Committees of Mines and Energy and Natural Resources of the House of Representatives. Therefore, in addition to understanding the concept of sustainability of the energy matrix in Chile, the main reform, for those advocating renewable energy, is included in the Law on Promotion of Renewable Energies Non-Conventional 20% target of renewable energy for 2020.
HONDURAS
Cerro de Hula project to operate in full this year
The wind farm in Cerro de Hula, south of Tegucigalpa in the municipalities of Santa Ana and San Buenaventura, will start generating power this August and could be fully operational in December with a production of 102 MW.
The company that builds the project, Central America Energy, reported that the plan is to have the entire facility -the 51 units producing 102 megawatts in total- by December. This is a 200 million dollars project developed to supply power to the National Electricity Company (ENEE). This job opening has generated a direct and significant economic impact, as well as indirect impact on all services in this community. for the commercial operation this wind farm can be handled as about 40 people on a permanent basis.
BRAZIL
Two new wind bids
For July 2011 and is expected to attract a high level of interest among bidders.
The fast pace of auctions that take place every year in Brazil and the continued interest in the development of new wind projects clearly reflect the maturity of a market that until recently depended solely on the law and specific incentive programs such as PROINFA.
The interest of companies in the Brazilian wind market demonstrates the confidence of investors in government policies and long-term competitiveness of the market. Registration for the auction has closed May 4 (after extra 19 April), with a large number of wind farms among the registered projects.
Wind projects in operation in 2013 will require an investment of R25,000 million. This projection adds the projects sold at auction in 2009 and 2010 and the completion of the remaining projects PROINFA.
Enercon and Impsa already manufacture wind turbines, and Gamesa, Vestas, Suzlon, Alstom, GE, and even some Chinese manufacturers and installing manufacturing facilities.Suzlon and Vestas has sold wind turbines for projects within the program PROINFA.
In Brazil, there is perfect complementarity between wind power and hydropower, which makes them very attractive wind projects.
Brazil is in a position to supply wind turbines to the largest Latin American market, and wind turbines or parts to the wind energy market in the United States.
CHILE
100 MW project in Araucania
The Renaico a $ 240 million project, will be located in the province of Malleco in the Araucanía Region.
Developed by Endesa Chile through its renewable energy subsidiary EndesaEco, in an area of 940 hectareas, would have an installed capacity of 106 MW using 44wind turbines. The location, five miles south of the town of Renaico, is highly favorable for this type of project because of its high wind potential and characteristics of flat terrain, marked by high wind speeds.
It also has nearby transmission lines to connect to the Central Interconnected System (SIC).
BRAZIL
90 MW awarded to ENEL group
Enel Green Power (EGP) was awarded with 90 MW of capacity in the public tender held in Brazil to promote wind power. The company was awarded the contract based on three projects with very high wind potential and a capacity factor of around 50%, among the highest in the world. This means that the wind turbines will be able to generate power for approximately twice the European average.
The contract was awarded via an auction through which only 528 MW out of around 7,000 MW authorized were awarded.
With an installed capacity of 30 MW each, Cristal, Primavera and Sao Judas - the names of these three EGP projects - will be able to generate over 390,000 MWh per year. The wind farms will be constructed in the Brazilian state of Bahia and, due to their location in semi-arid areas, will enjoy incentives targeted at infrastructure development. Through the tender, EGP also gained the right to sign a 20-year contract to sell the electricity generated by the three plants through Brazil's Chamber of Electrical Energy Commercialization at a price indexed 100% to Brazilian inflation.
GLOBAL WIND DAY
This June 15 marks Global Wind Day, a global, annual event demonstrating the power and possibilities of wind power. Ahead of this year's occasion members of the public can access online maps of events in their area, learn more about wind energy or create their own event.
Global Wind Day held every year on June 15 is organized by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) and the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC). The event is designed to celebrate the achievements of wind power and educate others on the potential of this renewable energy source.
The event began in Europe in 2007 before becoming a global occasion in 2009; last year highlights of Global Wind Day events included a professional skydive from a wind turbine in Austria, the construction of a turbine in London's Leicester Square, an exhibition in Buenos Aires and an educational campaign in the US.
This year Global Wind Day events are happening throughout Europe, in parts of the United States, Australia, Mexico and Uruguay: members of the public can find details of an event near them via the online interactive map at:
www.globalwindday.org/index.php?id=36
General information about World Wind Day and wind power can be found via the official website www.globalwindday.org
Edition: Sofia Hernandez
shernandez@lawea.org
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