Non-conventional sources will contribute 5% of the country's total energy
hace 11 year
The Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) estimates that within three years 5% of the energy marketed in the country will be provided by non-conventional energies (wind, geothermal, solar).
Along these lines, projections by the MEM and the Ministry of the Environment (MINAM) conclude that by 2040, 40% of the country's energy will come from Renewable Energy Resources (RER).
To achieve this ambitious goal, Luis Nicho, general director of electricity at MEM, explains that the country's current demand of 6,000 megawatts (MW), which has doubled in the last 10 years, is taken as a reference.
«Following this pace, demand in 2024 would be 12,000 MW, 10 years later we would have double that, i.e. 24 MW, and by 2040 the use of RERs will also grow in contribution and proportion,» he noted.
The present of the RERs
In the last five years, the State has granted concessions for more than 50 energy supply projects with Renewable Energy Resources. Of these, 20 projects are already in service, and it is estimated that by 2017 all of them should be operating at the same time, producing, as a whole and at least, 4.2 million MWh per year.
By the end of this year, 2.7% (242 MW) of the National Interconnected Electrical System (SEIN) will be generated by wind energy produced in three generation parks located in Marcona, Talara and Pacasmayo.
To complete the 5% targeted for 2017, the government has announced that it will launch a tender for 12 projects including wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and all combinations thereof, for 500 MW, which will be added to some five projects that are in the construction stage.
Even though there is an impression that wind energy is an expensive energy, Nicho asserts that today it is less expensive than working with oil for city or industry. «Wind tends to be cheaper every day. What is conventional is large gas-fired hydroelectric plants as well as combined cycle,» he said.
Progress with wind turbines
One of the most advanced technologies that has captured the interest of investors is wind power. A few weeks ago, the company Contour Global inaugurated the Cupisnique wind farm (Pacasmayo) with an investment of US$ 176 million for an installed capacity of 83.15 MW.
Alessandra Marinheiro, executive director of the company, highlighted that Cupisnique is the largest wind power generation project in the country with 45 wind turbines. Between this plant and the Talara plant, also in charge of Contour Global, there will be an installed capacity of 114 MW.
In this regard, Jesús Tamayo, president of Osinergmin, said that these works open the way to the era of wind power generation in the country, which will contribute to reduce the use of fossil resources that generate greenhouse gases.
Attractive country on RER
According to the latest RECAI 2014 ranking by EY, Peru is positioned as the third most attractive South American country to invest in renewable energy. Although it is ranked 26th in the general ranking, in the specific ranking it is ranked 6th, 14th and 15th, in terms of attractiveness for hydro, geothermal and solar energy projects, respectively.
Ricardo Del Águila, Audit Partner at EY, pointed out that since 2008, the Peruvian government has been granting incentives to promote investment in electricity generation with the use of RERs. He explained that today, for example, an average of 7 months elapse from the call for the auction to the signing of the contract.
In figures:
2.7% of the country's generation will be from RER sources by the end of 2014.
5% as a cap would raise electricity tariffs with a higher contribution of RERs to the SEIN.
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