NEWS

CUBA: Cuba opens the biggest wind farm of its "energetic revolution".

Cuba opened this week a wind farm located in the province of Holguín, in the municipality of Gibara, 700 km northeast far from La Habana, which has a capacity of 5.1 MW and its implementation will save the country about 240 kg fuel per MW / hour delivered. There are six turbines of 55 meters each, with the capacity to produce 850 kilowatts each.

By the end of this year, another wind farm in Gibara is expected to be concluded with six turbines and a production capacity of 4.5 MW. With this, Holguin would have a total capacity of 10 MW "without spending a single gram of oil"

The project (government) should extend for the northeast coast, until Guantánamo (extreme East), for the installation of eight new wind farms", four of them in Holguín.

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ARGENTINA: A wind farm could be built in "Coronel Dorrego".

The German company Sowitec plans the creation of a wind farm in the district of Coronel Dorrego, Buenos Aires, which includes the installation of 25 windmills that would provide about 50 MW to the national energy system, based on an investment of $ 100 million dollars.

The wind farm would be located approximately 30 kilometres north from Coronel Dorrego, near to the transformer plant of the energy transmission company of Patagonia (TRANSPA).

So far, the German company is pursuing contacts with farmers to explain what the project consists on. According to studies by the German company, the southwest area of Buenos Aires has the second place of Argentina with most potential for wind farms.

Sowitec counts in Europe with a score of wind farms installed, while in South America they are already working in Brazil, Uruguay, Chile and Peru.

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PUERTO RICO: It was proposed to move the wind farm project to the CORCO.

The party Puerto Ricans for Puerto Rico (PPR) suggested that the wind project in Guayanilla Windmar change places to the land of abandoned facilities of the Commonwealth Oil and Refining Company (CORCO) in Peñuelas.

The wind project, which will consist on the installation of 20 turbines on a land adjacent to the Guánica Dry Forest, has been criticized by environmental organizations, because where it will be placed, it would harm the habitat of the guabairo, an endemic bird that is in danger of extinction.

This will be the first renewable energy project and according to the National Laboratory of Renewable Energy of the federal Energy Department, Puerto Rico will have the capacity to produce more than 2000 MW of power from wind energy.

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CHILE: Government is evaluating to install wind energy systems in the Antarctic bases.

The defense minister, Jose Carrasco Goñi, said that he is considering the possibility of equipping the Chilean bases in Antarctica with a wind energy system.

Chile wants to assume a more rigorous attitude under the Antarctic treaty caring for the environment in the icy continent, especially when there is a growing increase in tourism.

National laws and international conventions to make concrete proposals are being reviewed with the Ministry of Defense of Argentine.

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MEXICO: Santa Catarina only waits for licenses of Semarnat and CFE to produce wind power.

A few months ago the municipality of Santa Catarina signed a contract with Ecoenergy for the installation of a wind energy plant in the town, and now only needs the permission from the Semarnat and the CFE to begin constructing it. It is expected that the wind farm is working by the end of this year.

The wind farm will be capable of producing 20 MW. The land works and excavations are already started, and the idea is that by the end of this year or the first quarter of next, this plant will be operating. It will be located in the “Sesteo de las aves” in the limits of the municipality of Santa Catarina with Garcia.

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URUGUAY - BRASIL: Brazilians would invest on a wind farm.

The mayor of Rivera, Tabare Viera, will travel to Porto Alegre to meet with some entrepreneurs of the company Fortuni, who are interested in developing wind power projects in the country. Fortuni acquired from the Spanish Gamesa, which conducted a feasibility study with the intention of installing a wind farm in Uruguay.

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MEXICO: Formalized investment: Speco arrives to Central Region.

With an investment of 27 million dollars, Korean entrepreneurs began the construction of the company Speco Wind Power Ltd, a manufacturer of wind towers for power generation.

One of the elements that helped winning this investment was the presence in the region of Altos Hornos of Mexico, which will be their main supplier of steel and from which they will purchase 90 thousand tons of steel a month; this will bring a great economic development to the city starting from next year.

The plant will be located at the north of Monclova, by the old road to “Hermanas”, and its second phase aims to double the investment and recruitment of manpower.

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ARGENTINA: Das Neves (governor of the province of Chubut) announced investments of more than U.S $ 4M.

Under the policy of developing the energy sector which is being pursued, the province announced in Comodoro Rivadavia an investment of more than $ 4 million dollars in the Patagonia Southern Winds Project (“Vientos Patagonia del Sur”), which contemplates de heading of two contracts that the company Enarsa signed with two companies that operate in the local market.

In this scheme that has allowed not only to the province but the country and continent to developing the possibility of using wind energy in a time, where not even the most seasoned investor had pushed this dream, this cooperative, receiving support from their peers elsewhere in the territory, committed their will and work, financial and human resources for what now is a growing reality, the Wind Farm Antonio Moran.

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NICARAGUA: Master of Energy for Sustainable Development.

The Foundation UPC from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia through the UNESCO Chair in Sustainability organized and structured studies for the Masters with a group of academics from both Spain and Latin America, who put together the contents, coordinated and conducted classes in three universities simultaneously.

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LAWEA HIGHLIGHTS

We have already received the first postulations to conform the first board of directors of LAWEA starting from the next March 27th. Very soon we will inform who will be those that empower the wind energy in Latin America.

The elected directors will have the responsibility of being the visible face of the association to the society and the leaders of the industry in the region. They will be the representation of the organization and will be in charge of formulating strategies regarding the fulfillment of our mission and to promote the development of Wind Energy in Latin America.

Just three weeks more will open the Call for papers to WIND EXPO LAWEA 2008!

Just three weeks more will be open the call for papers for WIND EXPO LAWEA 2008. Don't leave the opportunity to show your work in this important event.

The authors of the best works will be invited as speakers in the conferences, and others selected papers will have a space in the posters section.

The deadline for abstract submission is March 14th.

More information: http://www.windexpo.org/ing/conferencias_trabajos.html

EVENTS

JOB OFFERS

It is already available for our members the "job offers section" for Wind opportunities in Latin America

OPINION

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