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'Mercosur does not exist': Uruguay should try a one to one deal with the Europe
Mercosur does not exist; Uruguay is losing precious time and should try a one to one trade agreement with the European Union, according to Paul Riezler, president of the Euro-Chamber in Uruguay and of the Uruguay-Germany Commerce and Industry Chamber. Read full article
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Feb 02nd, 2015 - 05:55 am - Link - Report abuse 0Sign a deal and then see what Mercosur does. I bet the other countries will be too afraid to kick Uruguay out because that will give Paraguay ideas and then Mercosur will be nothing but Brazil being held back by two deadbeats: Argentina and Venezuela, who will never do anything to advance Brazil.
It all comes down to 'No Money Pepe', the ex-Tupas murdering commie bastard who is our president until March.
Feb 02nd, 2015 - 10:53 am - Link - Report abuse 0He has said he would do a lot of things but has done almost nothing. The useless windmills, giving money to 'the poor' (instead of providing jobs) and legalising pot come to mind.
He sees the other countries as 'brothers' and has not done a thing to break that charade throughout the tenure of his presidency.
Vasquez, a second timer at the presidency should be more proactive but there are an immense number of illiterate and innumerate dead heads in the ‘Broad Fraud’ conglomeration of tiny little parties who still fight among themselves for a chance at ‘power’.
I am always hopeful about Uruguay but very often disappointed. The ‘politicians’ at local and ‘government’ level seem childlike, lacking in worldly experience and out for what they can get. SA in miniature.
It's questionable whether Urineguay would ever get to sign a deal with the EU. Certainly the huge numbers of people in the UK who support the Falkland Islands would probably object. A trade deal with a little country with nothing meaningful to offer AND supports argieland and its illegal 'claim' AND even suggests it has a 'claim' itself. Will Urineguay want a deal with the EU (excluding the UK). Which other EU members will decide they can do without such a useless little place. I wonder whether Urinos have ever thought that, without a British flotilla outside Montevideo, the captain of the Graf Spee might have decided to turn his guns on the city to get his way? Although Hans Langsdorff was very much a gentleman.
Feb 02nd, 2015 - 12:06 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@2 Chris R
Feb 02nd, 2015 - 01:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0A simple technical question : why “useless” windmills ?
@4
Feb 02nd, 2015 - 02:07 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“ useless ” windmills
When the wind is too fierce they have to stop the windmills as they would overheat the bearing if too fast. When they are switched back on they have to slowly increase the speed from slow to normal so that the bearings are getting lubricated. Solar or Hydro power is much better. We have windfarms where I live and only 50% are working at any given time, of course that “ could ” be due to reduced demand for electricity.
@ 4 argfellow
Feb 02nd, 2015 - 05:05 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Windmills cost more in energy to manufacture, transport, site them and maintain in service than they will ever produce in electricity throughout their expected life (which the manufacturers WILDLY specify).
Golfcronie is a little off the mark with ‘bearings’. It is the variable speed transmission that is by far the weak link and even the US Government have offered a contract to come up with a lubrication that can cope with the widely differing performance parameters that the gearboxes must tolerate or set themselves on fire if they are not stopped in time.
So far, after three years no company worldwide has come up with a lubrication which can cope.
The manufacturers always claim “installed capacity” when they quote a windmill farm BUT that is the rated capacity NOT the actual real life performance. If you get 20% of the farm output you have done well.
Compare that with gas turbine sets which have been used in the US, UK, ships, emergency generation, oil fields, etc. They are much cheaper to buy, easier and cheaper to maintain, can run at full rating without setting themselves (and the surroundings) on fire and don’t kill the birds.
Don’t tell me Argentina is considering some?
6 Chris - Well our German ones here in the Falklands work damn well - First batch have already repaid capital costs within 5 years and the 2nd batch on the way and our electric bills are down as burning 40% less diesel. But then we do have a windy climate.
Feb 02nd, 2015 - 09:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 0MERCOSUR does exist.
Feb 02nd, 2015 - 10:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0But only as a new and still-evolving political association of nations.
Functionally, those political differences are best illustrated by the artificial trade barriers, tax “ fees, ” and inability to work to a common understanding and agreement on business practices best suited for LATAM.
It might sound odd if but the Mercosur members want to actually achieve something with Europe, North America, Africa, or Asia collectively, they should reduce the repeatedly tiresome clichés about LATAM unity, listen, and study the very successful mechanics of the Pacific Alliance.
@6 “Don’t tell me Argentina is considering some?”
Feb 02nd, 2015 - 10:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Yes, we do, but probably on a small scale. We do already have some. Patagonia has one of the windiest climates on earth, if wind power doesn't work here, it doesn't work period. Though I would like them investing in solar...
@8 Mercosur was a product of a short-lived free-trade neoliberal experiment in both Argentina and Brazil, it was never going to work in the short term. It can work as a political association with some shared stuff but as an economic union, never.
I might as well chime in here on wind power, as we also have a wind power “ farm ” here in Porto Das Dunas, Ceara, Brasil. I can see them right out my back window.
Feb 03rd, 2015 - 01:06 am - Link - Report abuse 0Run on a contract with Wobben, Gmbh, of Germany, the “farm” has become somewhat of an attraction here. The turbines are lighted at night, on top of the dunes.
In 2 decades I have not seen any reduction of electrical mains cost. In fact with building growth having increasing 475 %, our electrical service with the local utility COELCE has continued climbing up into the sky.
Maintenance ? We rarely notice it.
Turbine or blade fires ? Never.
Blackouts ? Yes, without fail annually, at Christmas and New Years.
@ Chris R: it took oil 120 years of development into the economies, and it will take 120 years to switch to alternative energy and all comes down to market forces not the environmentalist dreams of alternative energy.
Feb 03rd, 2015 - 02:53 am - Link - Report abuse 0Perhaps Mercosur is waiting for full incorporation of VE,
Feb 03rd, 2015 - 10:19 am - Link - Report abuse 0so the majority of South America can compete more effectively
against the massively greater power of Europe.
What does Uruguay on its own have to offer the EU? Fray Bentos pies aren't as popular as they once were.
Feb 03rd, 2015 - 02:28 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@5 golfcronie @6 chrisR
Feb 03rd, 2015 - 03:58 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Thank you for your explanations. The word “useless” surprised me because of Germany and Spain examples, and the future giant off-shore Japanese generators.
@6 “Don´t tell me Argentina is considering some?”
They are already running, and under an optimistic aegis, because as @7 and @9 have pointed out, Patagonia is Eolo´s Kingdom. GOOGLE affords numerous entries through “WIND ENERGY IN ARGENTINA” and “ENERGIA EOLICA EN ARGENTINA”.
@6 “The manufacturers always claim ”installed capacity“ when they quote a windmill farm, BUT that is the rated capacity, NOT the actual real life performance. If you get 20% of the farm output you have done well”.
To my mind (NOT A TECHNICIAN´S..!), one point remain dubious : in atomic plants, for example, 1 MW of installed thermal POWER of the nuclear reactor will render only 0,33 MW of electric POWER, and then, during an hour, 0,33 MW x 1hr. = 0,33 MWhr. of C O N S T A N T output of electric ENERGY.
Now, when you speak of “20% of the farm output”, must we understand that we´ll get 0,20 MWhr. for each manufacturer´s rated 1 MW power as AN EQUALLY CONSTANT flux of electric energy (at least as a MINIMUM flux) or must we consider it only as an A V E R A G E output...(which seems more reasonable)?
@ 7 Islander1
Feb 03rd, 2015 - 06:37 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“But then we do have a windy climate” Yes, you do, BUT you also have a fully trained guy looking after their every need, don’t you? That alone will prevent runaways. :o)
@ 10 BOTINHO
“In 2 decades I have not seen any reduction of electrical mains cost. In fact with building growth having increasing 475 %, our electrical service with the local utility COELCE has continued climbing up into the sky.”
Probably more to do with the management of COELCE as increased capacity should result in lower unit costs due to economies of scale. Don’t expect windmills to help you if they are not operated similarly to the Falklands.
@ 11 cornelius
I don’t know about 120 years but it will be considerable due to advances in materials will be ever lengthy as you attempt to wring the last 5% of performance out of them. I would suggest that NONE of the present technologies will be in common use by that time with the exception of nuclear.
If ever cold fusion comes about that will be the end of the rest for main power units.
@ 14 argfellow
It is no good whatsoever using the wrong rating. Nobody is interested in the rated power of atomic reactors other than the poor sods who have to dispose of the waste.
What IS important is the rated power of the alternators and these will be ACTUAL power outputs delivered to the output terminals of the first line transformers (in other words at the rated transmission voltage which is considerably higher than the alternator).
The windmill producers would have you believe the plates on their machines, only they NEVER make it. Don’t overlook that the ratings are done on a test rig with the CVT being driven by electric motors NOT the blades. Snake oil salesmen can hold their heads high compared to this bunch.
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