Wind Energy

Phase 3 - Identify and evaluate a wind energy project in the world

Submitted to:
María Fernanda Rodríguez
Tutor

Presenten by:
Deissy Milena Cristancho c.c 1122652133
Eitel Tatiana Murillo Beltrán c.c 1074416001
José Lisandro González Cubillos c.c 11 201 735
Yudi Aurora Vásquez c.c.1072365846
Luciano Díaz Carpintero c.c. 93386164

Group: 358052_1

Environmental Engineering
School of Agricultural, Livestock and Environmental Sciences
National Open and Distance University - UNAD

July 2020

Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia

Academic and Research Vice-rector
Activities guide and evaluation rubric
Project evaluation format
 Wind energy is a renewable energy source that is characterized by
obtaining non-polluting electrical energy, which avoids
environmental damage. The use of this energy source has presented
an exponential growth at world level that has been explored and that
represents an important part of the global electrical capacity with
renewable sources. The developing countries of projects of
installation of wind power plants are a focus in the wind industry.
Mexico is a country with an enormous wind potential; it is in that
group of countries with ideal locations for large-scale wind
exploitation. The first serious studies of national scope to evaluate
the qualities and distribution of the winds in the Mexican territory
were carried out in 1980, considering that in the south of the isthmus
Summary of the
of Tehuantepec, it is the region with the greatest wind energy
article
potential and where the deployment of wind projects is concentrated,
and this is due to the fact that the average annual wind speed in this
region exceeds 10 m/s, and that on average in the world winds of 6.5
m/s are used for energy generation. The wind development in this
region and its main actors were examined. Various aspects were
analyzed, from the right to information to the environmental
implications, in order to understand the growing social opposition to
the installation of projects in this area. The prevailing wind
exploitation model in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec favours
development companies, limiting the benefits for local communities
and increasing social rejection of projects.

Purpose of the In the development of study, in the obtaining of clean or renewable

article energy, in the projects of production of wind energy at world-wide
level, they are taking force of projection, in which they see
themselves directed in the search of places that fulfill favorable
characteristics, where the conditions of constant wind speed during
all the twelve months of the year are important to consider, when
seeing that the most excellent characteristics are fulfilled that are
defined in the attainment of assembly of thermo-wind plants, A first
approach is made in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, where the
fulfillment of favorable and important characteristics in the
development of the requirements for the assembly of wind turbines
is evidenced, so an analysis is made for the Development of wind
energy sources, in the area of study, giving as a result that there is a
high potential of obtaining, since the results of wind speed have
wind speed conditions of 10m/s, with respect to the world average
that is at 6.5 m/s.
Therefore, it can be said that this place fulfills in a favorable way for
the obtaining of wind energy, but it must be taken into account that
when carrying out a type of project of great importance, there must
be a financial muscle that supports it, as well as an analysis of
impacts that can be given, from the social, economic and
environmental point of view, It should be noted that where there is
compliance with requirements or favorable characteristics, is
inhabited by indigenous communities, which seek the preservation of
ecosystems that are there, in addition to this as a result of the first
wind turbines that were mounted, there was no contribution of these
to the communities, since the energy that had the 7 generators was
for the supply of industry in a 100%.
This does not show that renewable energy is a booming industry, but
the guidelines for intervention in the areas where the generators were
located should be reviewed, as they are environmentally friendly and
help to supply the inhabitants in the first place.
In the isthmus of Tehuantepec, a high energy efficiency plant can be
generated, where all the important potential that it has can be
exploited, being a project of great dimensions and favorability for
the world, which being so close to Colombia could not favor in the
future.
  Geographic location.
In the best conditions to obtain wind energy, there are beneficial
characteristics to implement energy stations in Mexico, in the south
of the ism of Tehuantepec.

Main
characteristics of
the wind project

 Wind speed (if referenced).

In the area of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, due to its geographical

location, there are winds of 10m/s, which are high and feasible for
the design of wind power stations, since the world average is over
6.5 m/s.

 Amount of energy produced in megawatts.

The studies that have been evaluated for the assembly of the wind
stations in this place, could have a potential obtaining of 44,000 Mw
in an area of 8,800 km2.
 Advantages

 México is in this group of countries with ideal locations for

large-scale wind exploitation
 The winds in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec are also relatively
stable, a high percentage of hours per year, hence its energy
potential is considered excellent.
 The right to information and prior consultation of
communities, especially indigenous groups, whose
environment and living conditions are affected by the
execution of a project.
 Development bank involvement is that credit approval is
usually conditioned on compliance with provisions that often
involve environmental and social issues.
 Wind developers highlight the contribution of their projects
in terms of job creation and acquisition of goods and services
for the benefit of the population and local companies.

Disadvantages

Advantages and  The non-conformity of local communities since the

disadvantages construction of wind power plants is mainly that their
investors they are company’s privates and foreigners.
 Delay in the first stage of the project due to the economic
crisis in 2009 and the opposition of groups of residents of the
affected local communities.
 Lack of support for a public policy for the integral
development of the wind sector in the country that includes,
among other objectives, the creation of its own wind
technology.
 The criticism of the opposition groups is that the energy
produced is not for the benefit of the affected localities where
the percentage of homes without electricity service exceeds
the national average.
 Questioning of the land lease contracts by their original
owners, who alleged irregularities during the negotiation
processes.
 The lack of regulatory law for wind projects generates
uncertainty regarding the nature and magnitude of the effects
in the medium and long term.
Positive and
negative impacts POSITIVE ASPECTS
of the project
 The installation of the wind turbines produces energy for the
so-called self-supply companies, made up of large industrial,
commercial and service consumers.
 The wind projects as an unbeatable opportunity to raise the
living conditions of the communities of Oaxaca.
 The sources of financing as actors in the construction of the
different wind projects, which start from the approval of the
credits is usually conditioned to the fulfillment of
dispositions that often involve environmental and social
issues.
 Generation of temporary employment during the construction
stage and acquisition of goods and services for the benefit of
the local population and businesses.

NEGATIVES ASPECTS

 Several of the projects under the first one, which were

planned to become operational before 2013, were delayed
due to the financial crisis in 2009 and opposition from groups
in the affected local communities.
 According to the area of influence in the different sites of
construction of wind power plants, there are disagreements
about the energy produced, since it is evident that this
resource is not for the benefit of the affected localities, drunk
to the percentage of homes without electricity service.
 In the Tehuantepe Isthmus wind projects, there are social and
environmental implications due to the lack of adequate
management and control by environmental entities.
 Lack of socialization and consultation with indigenous
groups, in terms of providing information on the construction
of wind projects, referring to the social, economic issue that
is due to monetary negotiation for the affectation of
servitude, causes opposition to these constructions.
 The land where these projects are built is mostly leased at a
price that does not satisfy the tenants and there are
complaints about companies that limit themselves to
providing complete and true information on the expected
economic return of the projects that will allow them to
negotiate a fairer distribution of dividends.
 The wind projects in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec have been
installed predominantly on land for agricultural and livestock
use, where the agricultural production cycle and the
productive and commercial use of the land are temporarily
 affected.
 Loss or alteration of soil.
 The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is one of the busiest migratory
bird corridors in the world, and given the number of wind
turbines installed, they cause the death of birds and bats from
collisions with the wind turbines.
 Alteration of the landscape and ecological connectivity.
 Loss of vegetation coverage.
 Noise generation.
1. Projects can be developed in compliance and alignment with
the environmental requirements of financial institutions and
become more sustainable, taking into account the
implementation of environmental aspects in parallel with
technical and commercial aspects of onshore wind energy
development, as part of early project development. It is
important to have good practices, which establish a sequence
of steps to be applied in a concatenated and hierarchical way,
in order to anticipate, avoid, minimize, restore and finally
compensate the adverse impacts in the different phases of the
construction of these wind projects, such as: Project viability,
planning and development, construction, operation, closure
or repowering and relationship with the different
stakeholders.

2. The development of obtaining new solution alternatives in

the generation of clean energy worldwide, has had an
Technical interesting impact on the development of data collection
considerations studies, which allow the assembly of a power line in a
(comments from concrete and procedural way. generators in different parts of
the work team) the world, it is so that today this type of projects are being
replicated satisfactorily in different places, being a potential
of efficient renewable energy supply and that does not have a
negative impact on the environment, if it is carried out in a It
is safe to have support from areas of greater vulnerability.
The assembly of obtaining renewable energy, contributes to stopping
the consumption of non-renewable resources that to this day are
high, should more actively support these types of projects that
contribute to seeking a positive result for the environment and for
each one of the people who are benefited is thus giving rise to the
improvement of the country's socio-economic conditions.

3. The implementation and development of renewable energies

is of the utmost importance, as is the benefits obtained in
their development, although it must be taken into account
that in their implementation phase, socio-environmental
policies are taken into account in order to study the needs of
 the community and the environment, thus ensuring that
project development is efficient without interrupting or
significantly affecting environmental ecosystems as well as
the activities of the community where it is implemented

4. In the development of the Tehuantepec project, there has

been strong opposition and inequality on the part of the
community in the area where it was implemented, because
the main beneficiaries in energy production are large
industries and commerce and not the community as well as
their livelihood activities have been significantly affected it is
important to emphasize that at the time of implementation the
requests from the community

5. Wind energy is one of the most considerable alternative

energies since it is a clean energy and does not pollute the
environment, the projects exposed for its implementation are
on the rise, This is the case in Mexico in the town of
Tehuantepec ,where they didn't perform Sufficient studies in
the aspects (economic, social and environmental) this
brought many drawbacks for its development, that is why for
the implementation of any environmentally sustainable
project, all aspects mentioned above must be taken into
account in order to optimize compliance with them.

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