Atacama Desert

Researchers in Spain have investigated how climate change may possibly impact solar power generation in the world’s region with the highest solar radiation levels – the Atacama desert in northern Chile. They found that, although global warming has the potential to impact solar power generation in the Atacama region, the desert will still retain exceptional conditions for solar power production.

A solar facility with an installed power of 9 MW has come online at the Paranal Observatory operated by the European Southern Observatory (ESO). The PV plant is also intended to power the world’s largest telescope that is currently under construction at the observatory.

Chile continues to lead the energy transition in Latin America, but international investors are nervous. The pandemic is subsiding, thanks to a vaccination rate close to 80%, and energy demand is showing signs of recovery. However, the political landscape still has investors on edge, reports Luisa Cabello.

Chile is home to a massive 10.3 million tons of lithium reserves, most of which is found in the Atacama Desert in the northern part of the country. With some of the highest solar irradiation levels on Earth, this region also boasts the perfect conditions for generating solar power. Developments in the photovoltaic market, alongside implementation of more efficient energy storage systems, are positioning Chile as a regional leader in this field. So what does the future hold for battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Chile, and what obstacles lie in their way?

The $99 million financing was provided by the CAF development bank of Latin America. The large scale solar facility will be in the Atacama desert.

A 250 kW PV system will provide around 4% of the bridge’s energy needs. The project may be expanded to 700 kW.

Spanish renewable energy company Abengoa announced that it will immediately restart construction on the exciting Atacama Desert solar project in Chile, where a 100 MW PV plant and a 110 MW solar thermal plant will look to take advantage of the world’s most concentrated solar radiation.