According to the Electricity Market Administration (ADME), nearly 95% of clean energy in Uruguay will come from clean sources in 2023.
In less than 10 years, Uruguay has significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions and electricity costs, without government subsidies and at no additional cost to consumers. Currently, almost 94.5% of domestic electricity consumption comes from renewable energy sources.
Specifically, this share of clean energy is divided into: wind (39.6%), hydropower (28.1%), biomass (9.3%), heat (7.8%) and solar energy (3.7%). The remaining share corresponds to what is imported from neighboring countries: 11.3% from Brazil and 0.2% from Argentina.
This achievement is an important milestone for Uruguay, which leads the region in renewable electricity generation. In addition, it helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality.
Specifically, Uruguay produced 10,700.4 gigawatts/hour (GWh) this year; One GWh is equivalent to one billion watts per hour. In comparison, the country imported a total of 1,389.4 GWh from Argentina and Brazil.
In contrast, Uruguay exported 17.3 GWh (7.5%) to Brazil and 213.6 GWh (92.5%) to Argentina in 2023, for a total of 230.9 GWh.
Uruguay, a clean energy leader in 2023, is focusing on green hydrogen
According to the recent international conference on renewable energy, held in Madrid at the end of February, special guests included Uruguay, the second country in the world with a fluctuating share of renewable energy sources (such as solar and wind) in electricity production, according to the REN21 report.
“Europe is very confused on energy issues and sees the example of Uruguay as a very strong example to follow“said the physicist Ramón Mendes, national energy director of Uruguay from 2008 to 2015, after revealing in Madrid the peculiarities of the process that has allowed Uruguay's energy matrix to be decarbonized by more than 95% in less than ten years.
Mendes recalls that in 2008, Uruguay experienced a “perfect storm” without raw materials such as gas, oil or coal, due to rising fuel prices, increasing demand for electricity and limited local infrastructure, which led to an energy supply crisis. “The fact that we didn't have enough resources helped us look for other alternatives“, Explain.
Clean energy in 2023
The increase in renewable energy participation in Uruguay's electricity grid is due to a number of factors, including:
- The country's energy policy, which promotes the expansion of renewable energies.
- Investments in the field of renewable energy.
- Uruguay's natural conditions are favorable for the production of hydro and wind energy.
Just 15 years ago, oil accounted for 27% of the country's import spending. This shows that it is possible to achieve a sustainable and clean energy system without compromising economic growth.
With information from: