| Work Detail |
The Venezuelan electricity market, both for photovoltaics in particular and for renewables in general, is still an unexplored territory. To find out about the latest developments, pv magazine spoke with Mylan David Rodríguez and Andrés Mora, from the Venezuelan Association of Renewable Energies (AVER).
According to data from the International Energy Agency (IRENA), as of December 2023, Venezuela had installed 2 MW of photovoltaic power and about 24 MW of wind power. There are no known projects that could add capacity to these technologies.
As you know, the particular political and economic situation in the South American country does not suggest a favorable framework for high expectations in this regard, however, Venezuelan professionals believe that in the long term there is a promising future for the sector. To learn more about these and other issues, pv magazine spoke with Mylan Rodríguez and Andrés Mora, from the Venezuelan Association of Renewable Energies (AVER).
Andrés Mora begins by pointing out the situation in Venezuela in terms of the environment. “It is very true that it is the only Latin American country that has not developed the renewable sector -he says-, as other neighbouring countries or those in the Caribbean have done. What we are looking for now is to give support not only to the Venezuelan sector but also to external agents, companies and investors, because there is great expectation and great potential in the sector.”
It is appropriate at this point to learn a little more about AVER, a task that is assumed by its general director and founder, Mylan Rodríguez: «We are a small association due to the current context of the electrical sector, in which few actors participate, we are talking about approximately between 20 and 25 people. We work with different professional associations in Venezuela with different skills, whether engineering or law, for example.»
And he continued: “One of our objectives is to work basically, as we have done since our foundation, in 2021, with different professionals to try to find a possibility for the Venezuelan electrical sector.”
«It is important to point out - Andrés intercedes - that Venezuela does not have a developed market, and not only in the electricity sector, but in many areas, there is very little information. We do not have much updated data, but when I say that expectations are positive, it is because from here on up the ceiling is very large.»
"That is right," Mylan adds, "because a diversification of the currently interconnected national electrical system is needed."
Taking up the subject of interconnection, Andrés adds that "the projects that were carried out at the time were isolated projects - and he points out -: The 2 MW project is on the island of Los Roques, the only part of Venezuela that is not interconnected. In fact, Venezuela has a very robust system, which comes from its stage of industrialization, the entire country is practically interconnected, unlike Colombia, for example. However, that project, like the wind farms, is not currently operational."
And where would the photovoltaic potential be characterized? “Mostly in the state of Falcón, for example, we must also mention the central and southern plains, where the photovoltaic potential is quite large. Likewise with the wind energy issue, there are certain areas in the country, such as the coastal areas, where it has been studied that it is totally viable,” Mylan answers.
The issue of the need for a regulatory framework then arises. “The current electricity law in Venezuela provides that all generation, distribution and transmission by sovereignty is the responsibility of the State, through Corpoelec (the state-owned National Electric Corporation). Our system is highly dependent on hydroelectric power, with an installed capacity of more than 10 GW.”
However, some flaws in the system are generating an increase in self-consumption. "In the last few years," says Mylan, "distributed generation has increased exponentially, in homes, in commercial businesses, in companies that have managed to invest in their own energy generation. And although there is no regulation in this regard, anyone can install it."
Finally, the general manager of AVER points out the task that will demand all the associations attention for the coming year. "We are working on a long-term basis, we cannot expect something to be done tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, but we are here to work on the issue of regulation, to create links. That is why, in 2025, we are going to organize business events for the participation of the local electricity sector, investors and international companies. We want to be pioneers in promoting this potential, and encourage the development that is necessary today." |
