What is the future of energy in Uruguay?

Credit: FRV Future Renewable Vision. After hydropower and wind, biomass is another important energy source, accounting for 15-20% of the electricity Uruguay produces. Wood pulp plants, for example, are now burning organic waste to produce energy for the grid, turning what was an environmental liability into an energy asset.

How much energy does Uruguay need?

The Solution to Intermittency Renewable sources—hydroelectric power, wind, biomass, and solar energy—now cover up to 98% of Uruguay’s energy needs in a normal year and still over 90% in a very dry one, according to Méndez.

Where does Uruguay get its energy from?

Uruguay primarily imports natural gas from Argentina via the Gasoducto Cruz del Sur. As of May 2021, there are no new projects proposed for oil and gas in Uruguay. Uruguay generates nearly half of its electricity from wind and solar, more than any other country in Latin America and the Caribbean.

How much electricity does Uruguay generate from wind & solar?

Uruguay generates nearly half of its electricity from wind and solar, more than any other country in Latin America and the Caribbean. Source: Visual Capitalist: Solar & Wind Power by Country © 2020 The World Bank, Source: Global Solar Atlas 2.0, Solar resource data: Solargis.

How can Uruguay use nontraditional renewables without battery storage?

By balancing complementary resources in particular locations and at particular times of day, Uruguay has been able to incorporate large amounts of nontraditional renewables without any battery storage.

Should Uruguay switch to green electricity?

Uruguay, one of South America’s smallest countries, is attracting outsized attention over its transition to green electricity. It didn’t happen simply by building a bunch of wind and solar farms, the architect of the strategy said, but by rethinking the entire energy system. And, he said, other countries could do that too.