MONTEVIDEO, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Uruguay's state-owned power company said on Tuesday that the recent record demand for electricity was completely covered by renewable energies.
The National Administration of Power Plants and Electrical Transmission (UTE) said the South American country's power demand reached a record 2,063 megawatts on Monday night when temperatures dropped to around 7 degrees Celsius in the capital Montevideo. The country, in the southern hemisphere, is currently in winter.
The power demand was entirely covered by renewable energies, with water power accounting for 63 percent, wind power 34 percent and biofuels 3 percent.
The UTE stressed that 99.9 percent of its customers received a normal supply during the demand peak, following criticism of unexpected power cuts that affected thousands of customers this month.
The UTE union blamed the power cuts on a lack of investment in infrastructure, though company executives denied the claim.
Uruguay's electricity demand in the first six months of 2018 increased by 3.6 percent year-on-year, it is reported.
