President Michelle Bachelet of Chile inaugurated the Amanecer Solar CAP plant in Copiapo today; it is the largest photovoltaic solar power plant in Latin America.
The project was developed, built and interconnected by SunEdison under an energy purchase 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 100 MW of total installed capacity; the amount of energy consumed each year by approximately 125,000 Chilean homes, or equivalent to 10% of the renewable energy generation capacity goal established by the Chilean Government for 2014. The project involves an investment of $250 million and is critical for the future development of renewable energy in Chile and Latin America.
Located 37 km from Copiapo in the Atacama Desert, the plant has more than 310,000 PV modules spread over 250 acres. The Amanecer Solar CAP plant was built in only six months and is interconnected to the Chilean Central Interconnected System electricity network (SIC), which lowers the net cost of grid electricity.
The Amanecer Solar CAP plant in Copiapo is the largest photovoltaic solar power plant in Latin America.
In its first year of operation it is estimated that the plant will inject 270 GWh of clean energy into the system. To generate the same amount of energy using diesel would require more than 71 million liters of fuel.
“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,” says Jose Perez, president of SunEdison for Europe, Africa and Latin America. “SunEdison has now interconnected 150 MW in the Atacama Desert – the 100 MW Amanecer Solar CAP plant plus a 50 MW power plant in San Andres – and this is just the starting point.”
According to Roberto de Andraca B., president of CAP Group, the plant will generate the equivalent of 15% of the group’s energy demand.
“CAP’s new projects have introduced the use of technologies and practices that are compatible with the environment and neighboring communities,” adds Fernando Reitich, CAP Group general manager. “The Amanecer Solar CAP plant is a concrete example of this strategy.”
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