NEWS

Wind Energy Production; a change for electricity generation

The Chilean government is trying to change the ways of electricity generation, as it has attempted to use the nuclear and hydroelectric generation, but these are conflicting and non beneficial to the environment.

However, wind, solar, geothermal and biomass energy production could contribute to the South American country economic and energetic growth. But to do so, urgently requires the ability of uprising the potential in each of these renewable projects .

Basically, the advantage of producing wind energy and hydropower plants are the investment costs and lower cost of operation. Investment in the wind projects would be $ 1.5 million per MW installed. And the "Run of River" Hydroelectric plant would have an approximate cost of between 1.5 to 3 million dollars per MW placed.

It is noteworthy that the reversal of Hydropower Plants of Reservoir has an investment cost of $ 1 million per MW installed, while seeking to settle some in the area of Aisen, one million dollars will be added per MW installed to cover transport to consumption centers, covering more than 1000 km across southern and central Chile.

It is important to mention that the Wind Energy is the fastest to develop in large-scale, only its capacity has not been studied as thoroughly as happened with Hydropower Plants, that is why wind energy, thanks to its estimated higher Gross capacity, will be the best contribution to the country's future energy matrix.

It is also likely to install wind turbines in the future, in the closest area to the coast, while "Run of River" Hydroelectric plant supplies the center and south of the country, thus reducing the tendency of transport to take that energy to the consumption centers.

Solar energy in the north of the country could take a little longer, because it is the most expensive investment; its cost is at least $ 4 million per MW installed, for mega projects.


Editor: Ángel Bravo.

Source (In Spanish):

http://www.elsaber.cl/interior.php?idn=3840

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