Green energy is a reality for thousands of Loja residents, who benefit from the output of what President Rafael Correa calls the highest altitude wind farm in the world. 

Correa visited the Villonaco wind field to receive a progress report from the field’s manager.

The wind farm is the result of a $45.6 million investment. Some of the turbines are at 2,720 metres above sea level in the Andes highlands, and they have generated 30,846,412 kWh since they started spinning in January.

“We’re breaking paradigms. We’re setting new paths that can benefit the neediest communities,” Correa said at the site.

Energy from the wind farm supplies mainly Loja, Zamora and Morona Santiago. The farm consists of eleven turbines, built with German technology.

The farm is meant to generate 59.57 gWh a year, to be fed into the national grid. That accounts for about a third of the province of Loja’s yearly energy use: 42,000 homes.

Original story