Photovoltaic news and pv jobs

183 MW of PV approved in Chile

Two new photovoltaic projects totaling 183 MW in Chile’s northern Atacama region have received the green light for development from the Environmental Evaluation Commission in Atacama.

The photovoltaic projects will be located in Chile’s northern Atacama region.

Flickr/Qayum2009

Chile’s energy ministry announced the news in a statement yesterday, October 16. The new projects, worth 162 MW and 21 MW, respectively, are said to fully comply with existing environmental legislation; their respective developers now have a five-year deadline to develop them.

The 162 MW Diego del Almagro plant is a US$420 million project backed by Andes Mainstream Spa, a Chilean subsidiary of Mainstream Renewable Power. According to the plans, the plant will comprise 579,000 polycrystalline photovoltaic modules and will be built in Chañaral province across 354 hectares. Electricity from the project is expected to be fed into Chile’s central interconnected electricity transmission grid (SIC).

Meanwhile, the 21 MW Canto del Agua is scheduled to be built in the Vallenar municipality. The project is estimated to cost $90 million and will be developed by Santiago-based developer Canto del Agua Spa, a filial of Spain’s energy company Abantia.

When complete, it should comprise around 75,264 photovoltaic modules, 784 one-axis trackers and 42 inverters. The generated electricity will be supplied to the SIC transmission grid, according to the solar plant’s file at Chile's environmental evaluation service, or SEA.

While positive, the two photovoltaic plants still need to obtain financing, grid connection permits and, PPAs – the biggest hurdles to operating in Chile. The November edition of pv magazine will cover the Chilean market in more detail.

Edited by Becky Beetz.