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.

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.

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.

How much sunlight does Uruguay get a year?

Uruguay receives an average 1,700 KW per square meter of sunlight a year, on a par with Mediterranean countries although solar represents only a fraction of the country’s total electricity production.

How much electricity did Uruguay export in 2022?

In 2022, exports of electricity represented $222 million which was less than 50 percent of the total amount of electricity exported in 2021. This decrease was primarily due to a severe drought which adversely affected the generation in Uruguay.

How much of Uruguay's energy comes from fossil fuels?

Back then, he said, about half of Uruguay’s energy mix came from imported fossil fuels, at a cost that at times exceeded 2% of GDP. The country was also experiencing some energy shortages.