Seven questions about the Venezuelan electrical system

Venezuela's electrical system, which is experiencing its second mbadive power outage in the last 30 days, goes through a vulnerability stage because of generation problems, they said EFE experts in the field.

Although the country's installed capacity exceeds its needs, the service has been reduced in recent years. they became frequent and even touched the city of Caracas, which was once considered "armored"to have his own power plant.

The following data attempts to answer frequently asked questions about the electrical system of the Caribbean country.

– How much energy does Venezuela consume?

– According to Winston Cabas, president of the Association of Electrical, Mechanical and Professional Engineering of Venezuela, the country needs about 22,000 megawatts for the normal operation of its industry, its trade and of its habitat. And its installed capacity is 30,000 megawatts.

– How is this energy produced?

– Venezuela has large hydropower, thermoelectric and even wind farms, however said Guillermo Ovalles, former president of the state-owned company Corpoelec. EFE that only hydropower plants supply energy to the system.

– How much energy does the hydroelectric system provide?

– The backbone of the Venezuelan electrical system is the Simón Bolívar hydroelectric power plant, better known as Guri. Together with the Macagua and Caruachi power plants – all located in the lower Caroní River – it constitutes the hydropower development of Venezuela.

Cabas pointed out that Guri's installed capacity could generate up to 16,000 megawatts but that it was more stable when it contributed up to 12,000 megawatts to the system.

Official information indicates that Macagua combines three production halls for just over 6,000 megawatts, while Caruachi exceeds 2,000.

-What is happening with thermoelectric power plants?

– According to Ovalles, the Venezuelan thermoelectric park "is on the ground" and does not even generate 25% of its installed capacity, which exceeds 10,000 megawatts.

The expert identifies up to 19 facilities, some as large as Planta Centro in Aragua State (north-central) or Termozulia (west).

He pointed out that most of them operate in state capitals, because of their increased consumption and the concentration of their population.

– What is the contribution of renewable energies to the system?

– Two wind farms also operate in Venezuela, although their contribution is practically nil.

The first president had been announced by President Hugo Chávez (1999-2013) in 2006, but after 13 years, wind turbines installed in the state of Falcón no longer produce energy.

Another wind farm located in Guajira (west), Venezuela, is operational, but generates just over 100 megawatts a day, according to official information.

-How is the energy transmitted?

– There are two main transmission lines in southern Venezuela. The most important is known as "765 kv", it crosses the western part of the country and leaves in the state of Zulia, one of the hardest hit by the cuts, the list of suppliers.

The other is 400 Kv and uses an electric "highway" to drive to the east of Venezuela, according to Ovalles.

-What is the current state of the Venezuelan electrical system?

– Tote and Oval agreed that the Venezuelan power system is vulnerable and "very bad", which is why both predict that mbadive cuts will be repeated.

(With EFE information)