The completed infrastructure totals more than 40 kilometers of electrical lines across three distinct construction segments. From Route 8, contractors built 4.1 kilometers of single-phase medium voltage line with OPP investing 1,521,507 pesos, UTE contributing 1,857,683 pesos for construction and contractor materials, and UTE supplying 1,277,533 pesos in additional materials. Along Route 39, construction comprised 2.2 kilometers of three-phase medium voltage line with UTE investing 2,209,492 pesos plus 828,825 pesos in materials. The resident-serving segment extended 36 kilometers of single-phase medium voltage line requiring UTE investment of 20,229,484 pesos and material contributions of 8,105,005 pesos.
Lavalleja Intendant Daniel Ximénez indicated the department could become the first outside Montevideo and Canelones to provide electrical service to all inhabited rural locations. The intendant connected electrification to population retention strategies, noting his grandfather lived 83 years in rural areas without ever accessing electrical service in his residence.
Resident representative José Fontes characterized the service activation as dividing community history into distinct periods, crediting multi-generational advocacy beginning with grandparents, continuing through parents, and sustained by current residents who maintained pressure on authorities.
UTE separately reported achieving 800 photovoltaic kit installations under its 100% Electrified Uruguay plan, with the milestone installation occurring in Villa Serrana within Lavalleja. The utility projects reaching complete national electrification with 500 households remaining without service access. Since 2010, UTE extended electrical service to over 2,000 rural families, positioning Uruguay as Latin America’s most electrified nation by coverage percentage.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
