Peru turns away from wind

PERU: The Peruvian government sees only a limited role for wind power over the next decade, according to a document published this month by the Ministry of Energy and Mines.

The 30.6MW Talara project was inaugurated earlier this month

In the government's National Energy Plan for 2014-2025, the ministry forecast that just 200MW of alternative renewable energy projects, including wind, solar, and biomass plants, will be developed over the next ten years.

The decision was made in spite of the country benefiting from good wind conditions.

Instead, natural gas and major hydroelectric plants will provide much of the additional electricity the country requires to meet rising demand for power, said the report which identified investments worth $50 billion in electricity, oil and gas in the period.

"The contribution made by non-conventional renewable energy (solar, wind, geothermal) will remain small," the document stated.

Speaking at the inauguration of ContourGlobal's 30.6MW Talara wind farm earlier this month, President Ollanta Humala indicated that the northern coastal department of Piura alone could support 3,000MW of wind farms.