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wiredInUSA - July 2014
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President Michelle Bachelet of Chile has inaugurated
the Amanecer Solar CAP plant in Copiapo, the largest
photovoltaic solar power plant in Latin America and among
the largest in the world. The project was developed, built
and interconnected by SunEdison Inc under an offtake
agreement with CAP Group, the largest iron ore and pellet
producer on the American Pacific coast, and the largest
steel producer in Chile.
The Amanecer Solar CAP plant has 100MW of total installed
capacity, equivalent to 10 percent of the renewable energy
generation capacity goal established by the Chilean
government for 2014. The project involves an investment of
$250 million and is important for the future development of
renewable energy in Chile and Latin America.
Located 37km from Copiapo in the Atacama Desert, the
250-acre plant has over 310,000 photovoltaic modules and
was built in only six months. It is estimated that in its first year of
operation the plant will inject 270GWh of clean energy into
the central interconnected system.
Jose Perez, president of SunEdison for Europe, Africa and Latin
America, said: “This plant demonstrates that photovoltaic
solar energy is an ideal way of diversifying the energy matrix
in Chile, reducing costs and contributing towards meeting
the demand for clean and sustainable energy. SunEdison
has now interconnected 150MW in the Atacama Desert – the
100MW Amanecer Solar CAP plant plus a 50 MW power plant
in San Andres.”
Solar goes online
for Chile