June 14, 2006
Report: 100MW wind generation project to cost US$180mn

(BNamericas.com) - "Venezuela's first wind generation project will have installed capacity of 100MW and require investment of US$180mn, according to Caracas daily El Universal.

The plant could be located in the Paraguaná peninsula of Falcón state, according to Jesus Luongo, general manager of CRP, the world's largest oil refining complex operated by state oil company PDVSA. Falcón is not only home to CRP and several oil and gas E&P projects but also one of the areas of Venezuela that suffers most from power interruptions. Additionally, very strong winds are commonplace in Paraguaná.

The electricity supply situation in Falcón is so serious that CRP has been forced to lend state power company Cadafe about a third of its own electricity production, which threatens the refinery's reliability in emergencies.

While wind plants in Paraguaná and the Venezuelan Guajira have been considered for decades now, it took a March speech from President Hugo Chávez denouncing over-dependence on hydro electricity for Cadafe to reconsider wind plans. However, Luongo did not offer a start date for construction of the plant".