Abengoa commissions a 50 MW wind farm in Uruguay

Abengoa is developing a further two wind farms in Uruguay, which will give it a global installed capacity of 170 MW.

Abengoa (MCE: ABG.B/P SM /NASDAQ: ABGB), the international company that applies innovative technology solutions for sustainability in the energy and environment sectors, has commissioned the Peralta wind farm in the Tacuarembó department, northern Uruguay. The facility, which comprises 25 wind turbines, has a capacity of 50 MW and will be integrated into Uruguay’s national electricity system. The project required an investment of US$ 150 million.

Abengoa was responsible for the engineering, design, construction, maintenance and commissioning of the wind farm for the national electricity company, UTE (Administración Nacional de Usinas y Trasmisiones Eléctricas). Abengoa will also hold the concession operate the wind farm for 20 years.

The network connection will be via a 34 km line that connects the Cuchilla Peralta substation, located at the wind farm, with UTE’s station in Rincón del Bonete, also in the Tacuarembó department.

The opening of the wind farm was attended by Roberto Kreimerman, Minister of Industry, Energy and Mining; Roberto Varela Fariña, Spanish ambassador to Uruguay; Ramón Méndez, National Energy Director; and Gonzalo Casaravilla, Chairman of UTE, in addition to other Uruguayan authorities and dignitaries. Everyone attending recognized the importance of increasing the country’s renewable generation capacity, and Abengoa’s management in particular as a pioneer in these types of projects in Uruguay.

This latest project will consolidate Abengoa’s position in the wind power market as the leading private wind energy developer and operator in Uruguay, where the company is also developing a further two wind farm projects. The three projects will be capable of supplying renewable energy to more than 200,000 households, preventing the emission of 300,000 tons of CO₂ into the atmosphere every year. The company, which has been present in Uruguay for 34 years, is also a leading engineering and construction firm in the country, where it has developed diverse and important projects in the electricity, water, industrial and civil engineering sectors.