Uruguay’s government-owned power utility UTE has announced the start of construction of the Melo Photovoltaic Solar Park in the Cerro Largo department, which will be the largest solar project in Uruguay once complete. With an installed capacity of 100 MWp, the plant will deploy around 140,000 solar panels on a tracking system, adding significant solar capacity and technological diversity to the country’s already heavily renewable‑based grid.
The project, awarded to TEYMA Uruguay in association with Spanish firm Prodiet, covers design, construction and a two‑year operation and maintenance phase. Construction is expected to begin in about two months.
Energy from the modules will travel via direct current circuits, then be converted to alternating current and stepped up to medium voltage before connecting to the National Interconnected System through a new 150 kV link at the Melo B substation.
The park is expected to play a key role in UTE’s push toward renewable‑sourced energy sovereignty, with the utility’s president Andrea Cabrera describing the project as a sign of a state‑owned company that plans and executes long‑term infrastructure to meet Uruguay’s growing electricity needs.
