In a video address to the International Conference Regional to Global taking place from February 4 to 5 in Quito, Ecuador, Bolivian Nuclear Energy Agency (ABEN) General Director Hortensia Jiménez Rivera stated that the energy balance of Latin America and the Caribbean is currently the most renewable in the world.
Ms. Jiménez Rivera noted that more than 60% of the region’s electricity is generated from renewable sources, primarily hydropower, as well as solar and wind, whereas the global average stands at approximately 30%.
“Latin America has a long history of energy integration, both in the hydrocarbon sector and in power generation. These sectors complement each other with due regard to differences in the resource base and energy systems of individual countries. And this integration experience creates major potential for the development of sustainable and well-balanced energy solutions in the emerging multipolar world,” she stressed.
At the same time, the region’s energy systems become vulnerable to climate change due to the high share of renewables, which spurs interest in nuclear energy development.
“Extreme weather and hydrological instability have a direct impact on the reliability of power generation, particularly hydro. In this context, nuclear could play an important complementary and strategic role. It is capable of making the energy systems more stable and resilient, ensuring reliable baseload energy supply and supporting a just and lasting energy transition. This is not limited to nuclear generation per se. Nuclear technologies have a wider range of application: medicine, industry, science, isotope production and high-tech sectors,” she explained.
ABEN Executive General Director also noted that a coordinated energy policy for the region would require addressing “common challenges” at the national level. She said that the aims of these strategies should include not only decarbonization but also energy security, job creation and social inequality reduction.
