Large solar projects move forward in Chile

• Mainstream Renewable Power is establishing the $934 million Huemul wind and also PV project, the 2nd stage of the $1.8 billion Andes Renovables renewable resource system, which is anticipated to have a complete ability of 1.3 GW when finished. A 3rd stage is currently in the funding stage.

Ireland-based renewable energy project designer Mainstream Renewable Power announced on Tuesday that it will certainly invest $934 million in the construction of Huemul, the 2nd stage of the renewable energy platform Andes Renovables.

Huemul contains 5 projects, three wind ranches amounting to 425 MW as well as two photovoltaic or pv selections with an aggregate capability of 205 MW. The projects are expected to begin commercial procedures between 2021 and 2022.

At the end of August, Mainstream safeguarded $620 million in financing from a consortium of five banks to construct the brand-new renewable energy complex. The funds originate from IDB Invest, KfW, IPEX-Bank, DNB, CaixaBank and also MUFG. A sixth financial institution, Santander Chile, financed the VAT credit report. Mainstream will certainly cover the continuing to be amount with its very own funds to reach the total financial investment of $934 million.

Indian EPC Sterling & Wilson and also Greece-based Metka-Egn will build the Valle Escondido and also Pampa Tigre solar parks, respectively. The electric connection works will certainly be performed by Chile's Transelec, Inprolec and also a consortium created by Isotron and German corporation Siemens, while the 5 primary transformers for the projects will be supplied by Hitachi ABB Power Grids.

Andes Renovables comprises projects completing 1.3 GW that were champions in the electrical power tender held by the Chilean federal government in 2016 as well as will certainly include a total investment of $1.8 billion. It will certainly be among the biggest non-conventional renewable resource platforms in Latin America. Spanning three stages, the project is expected to consist of a total amount of 10 wind as well as solar parks expanding from the Antofagasta area to the Los Lagos region. It is exactly this geographical as well as technical diversity that guarantees a continuous electricity supply, the company claims.

The initial phase of Andes Renovables, called Cóndor, which includes 4 centers and called for a complete financial investment of $830 million, is still incomplete. When it becomes functional it will add 571 MW of sustainable power to the Chilean power matrix. The 3rd and final stage of the system, Copihue, remains in the procedure of securing financing to add one more 100 MW of capability.

Meanwhile, in a separate advancement, the Environmental Assessment Commission of the Valparaiso area has actually approved the environmental impact research study for the Meseta de los Andes photovoltaic project.

The project, belonging to the Netherlands-based independent power manufacturer Sonnedix, consists of the construction as well as operation of a 191.93 MW photovoltaic park, a substation and also a 220 kV transmission line with an approximate length of 15.6 kilometres to the existing substation Los Maquis (220 kV), possessed by local power business Colbún.

The project will count on more than 440,000 panels, some on fixed structures and others on trackers on an axis. In its building phase, it will call for an investment of $165 million.

"This will be the largest solar plant in the region and the central location and the second that will generate the most electricity from the sun in the country," claimed Valparaiso area energy priest Fernanda Pinochet.

Sonnedix is additionally currently constructing the 171 MWp Sonnedix Atacama Solar photovoltaic plant in the Pica district of the Atacama desert, one of the largest solar energy projects in Chile.