Chile

The country’s energy regulator will publish the auction’s final bidding terms in December. Projects awarded contracts under the auction will supply electricity under 15-year power purchase agreements for 2026-2040.

Scientists at the University of New South Wales have developed a model to determine the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) by also considering historical weather data at specific locations. According to them, powering electrolyzers with off-grid solar offers the advantage of avoiding the expense of a grid connection and exposure to the risk of delays in both the physical connection and the approval process.

The government has published new rules for distributed generation which will come into force on November 6.

Developer Solarity has completed the first floating PV array to be connected to the national distribution network under Chile’s net billing scheme. The plant will supply 100% of project owner Hortifrut’s energy needs, while allowing it to sell excess power to the grid.

In a national park in Chile, a hydropower plant has been combined with a solar system and battery storage to replace diesel generation.

Mainstream Renewable Power is developing the $934 million Huemul wind and PV project, the second phase of the $1.8 billion Andes Renovables renewable energy platform, which is expected to have a total capacity of 1.3 GW when completed. A third phase is currently in the financing stage.

Chile’s National Electric Coordinator has granted approval for a new First Solar PV project to supply auxiliary grid services on a commercial basis. The installation has performed better than gas turbine technologies.

French energy giant Engie recently commissioned a solar module testing facility in Chile’s Atacama Desert, a region which has the world’s highest solar radiation. Thore Müller – head of bifacial PV R&D and solar services at Engie Laborelec, talked to pv magazineabout the advantages of testing panels, inverters and cleaning systems in hot, arid environments.

The Chinese manufacturer will supply 126 MW of modules to a project in Antofagasta which was originally installed using its products in 2016.

The solar manufacturer has landed its biggest engineering, procurement and construction services deal and will work on solar facilities in Europe and Latin America which will come online before 2023.