Latin America's largest PV plant opens in Chile
Chilean President, Michelle Bachelet has inaugurated the Amanecer Solar CAP plant in Copiapó; it is the largest photovoltaic solar power plant in Latin America and one of the largest in the world. The project was developed, built and interconnected by SunEdison, a worldwide leader in the photovoltaic solar energy sector, under an offtake agreement with CAP Group, the largest iron ore and pellet producer on the American Pacific coast, the largest steel producer in Chile and the most important steel processor in the Southern Cone.
The Amanecer Solar CAP plant has 100MW of total installed capacity; the amount of energy consumed each year by 125,000 homes, equivalent to 10% of the Renewable Energy generation capacity goal established by the Chilean Government in 2014. The project involves an investment of US$250 million and is critical for the future development of renewable energy in Chile and Latin America.
Located 37 kilometers from Copiapó in the middle of the Atacama Desert, the plant has more than 310,000 photovoltaic modules spread over 280 hectares. Amanecer Solar CAP was built in only six months and all of its energy is injected into the Central Interconnected System (SIC), thus contributing to reducing the system's energy costs.
In its first year of operations the plant will be able to inject 270 GW/h of clean energy into the system. To generate the same amount of energy using diesel, the center would need more than 71 million liters of fuel.
Ahmad Chatila, President and CEO of SunEdison, noted that, "This project has changed the course of non-conventional renewable energy development not only in Chile and Latin America, but throughout the world. Amanecer Solar CAP has become a benchmark for SunEdison in how to develop photovoltaic solar energy on an international level."
José Pérez, President of SunEdison for Europe, Africa and Latin America, added: "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. The 150MW+ interconnected by SunEdison in Chile is the starting point of our firm commitment to the future of energy consumption and the development of the energy industry in this country."
The President of CAP, Roberto de Andraca B., said: "Our strategic alliance with SunEdison asserts CAP's commitment to sustainability and reaffirms the company's support of the renewable energy goals laid out by authorities. The plant will generate the equivalent of 15% of our Group's energy demand."
Similarly, the general manager of CAP Group, Fernando Reitich, stressed that, "CAP's new projects have introduced the use of technologies and practices that are compatible with the environment and neighboring communities. The Amanecer Solar CAP plant is a concrete example of this strategy, which is in addition to other sustainable initiatives such as our mining project Cerro Negro Norte and a desalination plant that will be opened soon in the Valle de Copiapó. We believe that this style of mining is part of a business vision that allows for the development of our present and future activities."
