URUGUAY
Hydropower is Uruguay’s only indigenous source of
commercial primary energy, but even this is on a relatively
limited scale. The technically exploitable potential
is 10 TWh/year and 1999 output was 5.5 TWh, leaving
a fairly small amount of incremental capacity available
(in principle) for exploitation in the future.
During the 1980’s almost all of Uruguay’s incremental
generating capacity was in the form of hydropower,
with the commissioning of the bi-national Salto Grande
(1 890 MW) plant on the river Uruguay; the republic
shares its output with Argentina.
Hydro provided 70% of Uruguay’s electricity generation
in 1999. No hydro plants are under construction or
planned: future increases in generating capacity are
likely to be fuelled by natural gas.
VENEZUELA
Venezuela’s gross theoretical capability is estimated
to be 345 TWh/year, of which 130 TWh/year is considered
as economically exploitable. Hydro-electric output
in 1999 was 60.6 TWh, indicating that nearly half
the realistic potential has already been harnessed.
About three-quarters of the republic’s electricity
requirements are normally met by hydropower.
A large increase in hydro-electric capacity occurred
during the 1980’s, the major new plant being Guri
(Raúl Leoni), on the river Caroní in eastern Venezuela
– its capacity of 10 300 MW makes it currently the
world’s second largest hydro station, after Itaipú.
At the end of 1999, total hydro-electric generating
capacity was 13.2 GW; 2.2 GW was under construction
and a further 11.3 GW of hydro capacity was planned
for future development.
The 2 160 MW Caruachi project, sited 59 km downstream
from Guri, is scheduled for phased entry into operation
between 2003 and 2006. Two major projects at the planning
stage are Tocoma (1 160 MW) and La Vueltosa (480 MW).
VIETNAM
Vietnam has abundant hydro resources, particularly
in its central and northern regions. Its gross theoretical
potential is put at 300 000 GWh/yr, with an economically
feasible potential of some 80 000 GWh/yr. There are
more than 50 hydro stations in operation, with a total
installed capacity of nearly 2 900 MW at end-1999.
Hydro-electricity provides over half of Vietnam’s
power supplies.
The principal areas of hydro potential are the rivers
Da in the north, Sesan in central Vietnam and Dongmai
in the south. Hydropower & Dams World Atlas 2000 reported
that at end-1999, 1 265 MW of hydro capacity was under
construction, the largest of which - Yali (720 MW)
- was completed in 2000. According to the 2001 Atlas,
more than 8 000 MW of capacity is planned for installation
at some 20 sites; the principal project is Son La,
with up to 3 600 MW envisaged as coming into operation
between 2007 and 2012.
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