Uruguay is moving forward with one of the projects that make up its new photovoltaic expansion. Ten companies submitted bids to build the Fray Bentos Solar Park , a 30 MW facility that UTE will develop in M'Bopicuá, Río Negro department.
The Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining (MIEM) and UTE confirmed the closing of the bidding process after the proposals were opened on August 17. The technical and economic evaluation of each proposal will now begin, and the contract is expected to be awarded by the end of 2026 .
The process includes different stages before reaching the final contract: price ranking, preparation of the technical report, intervention of the advisory committee, notification of the results, award and subsequent action of the Court of Auditors.
The interest generated by the call was highlighted by the Government as a favorable sign for the generation expansion program that UTE is carrying out.
“We had 10 companies that are interested in working on this issue, which for UTE, as a public company, and for the Government as well, is excellent news , because it means that companies continue to trust UTE, they continue to trust in this generation and growth project for our country,” said the Minister of Industry, Energy and Mining, Fernanda Cardona .
A 30 MW park worth USD 20 million
The project will be installed in M'Bopicuá, near Fray Bentos , and will have a nominal power of 30 MW.
The plant will occupy approximately 60 hectares and will consist of 48,300 photovoltaic modules , with a total estimated investment of approximately USD 20 million .
According to UTE, this power will have a considerable impact locally. Peak demand in Río Negro is around 20 MW during the summer, so the new facility would have the capacity to cover that consumption at certain times and supply the surplus to the electrical grid.
“These figures highlight what this plant will truly mean for this city and for the department,” stated UTE President Andrea Cabrera .
In addition to the energy impact, it is estimated that its construction will generate between 80 and 100 jobs , along with associated economic activity for businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises in the area.
Uruguay aims to incorporate 500 MW of solar power.
Fray Bentos is part of a larger program with which Uruguay intends to strengthen the role of photovoltaics within a matrix that already has a high renewable share.
The Government plans to incorporate around 500 MW of solar energy during the current five-year period , mainly seeking to complement wind and hydroelectric generation.
This strategy includes four new plants distributed across different parts of the country. One is already under construction in Cerro Largo , while the others will be located in Río Negro, Durazno, and Salto .
The government is also considering using domestic savings to finance later stages of these projects , replicating mechanisms previously used by UTE. This alternative is not yet part of the current contracting process, and its terms will be announced later.
With ten proposals received for Fray Bentos, the focus now shifts to technical and economic evaluation. Selecting the contractor by the end of the year will mark the next step in making the 30 MW project in Río Negro one of the first components of Uruguay's 500 MW solar plan .