Energy in Uruguay describes and production, consumption and import in. As part of climate mitigation measures and an energy transformation, Uruguay has converted over 98% of its electrical grid to sustainable energy sources (primarily solar, wind, and hydro). are primarily imported into Uruguay for transportation, industrial uses and applicati.
Fossil fuels are primarily imported into Uruguay for transportation, industrial uses and applications like domestic cooking. Four hydroelectric dams provide much of the country's energy supply. Historically, energy has been a stronghold of state-owned companies, such as UTE and ANCAP.
As a result of the transformation of the electricity generation sector and the regional interconnection infrastructure with Brazil (complementing the historic interconnection with Argentina through the Salto Grande hydroelectric power plant), Uruguay has become a net exporter of electricity since 2013 in years of average rainfall.
How has the electricity system changed in Uruguay?
The Uruguayan electricity system has gone from being a centralized and inflexible hydrothermal system to a geographically distributed system throughout the country, adding wind, solar, and biomass waste generation to the historical power plants.
The energy crisis in Uruguay in 2007 led to Uruguay reopening the nuclear debate under the presidency of Tabaré Vázquez, when the Executive Branch established a multiparty committee devoted to the study of the use of nuclear energy to generate electricity and the installation of a nuclear power plant.
In July 2011 the government announced that Uruguay was soon to enter Phase 1 of an evaluation of nuclear energy, providing 10 million Uruguayan pesos from the national budget to hire specialist advisers, consulting the population and reviewing the human resources and technology available.
Why did Uruguay create the Ministry of Environment?
In 2020, Uruguay created the Ministry of Environment, which increased the relevance of environmental aspects and took charge of the execution of the national environmental policy, environmental planning, sustainable development, and the conservation and use of natural resources. progress towards these targets.