- Starting today, Enel Chile, through its subsidiary dedicated to the development of renewable energy, Enel Green Power Chile, will commence commercial operations of stages 1, 2, and 3 of the Las Salinas PV solar power plant. It will operate in conjunction with the Sierra Gorda Este wind power plant (112 MW), to form the largest industrial-scale hybrid renewable generation center in the country.
Antofagasta, July 23, 2024 - Just 60 kilometers outside the city of Calama, Enel Chile will commence commercial operations at its newest renewable energy generation plant. Upon completing all tests and standards to ensure its proper operation in terms of performance and worker safety, as well as those required by the National Electric Coordinator and other competent authorities, the Las Salinas PV solar power plant has been authorized to harness the powerful solar radiation available in the northern part of the country and convert it into 100% clean energy.
The Las Salinas plant consists of a total of 458,044 bifacial panels, a cutting-edge solar plant technology that achieves higher efficiency in generation by allowing solar radiation to be captured from both sides of the solar panel.
“As part of our strategy to hybridize our renewable projects, this new PV unit was built on the same property as the Sierra Gorda Este wind power plant, which already boasts 112 MW of net installed capacity, generating efficiencies in terms of land use and existing facilities for its connection to the National Electric System,” comments Giuseppe Turchiarelli, CEO of Enel Chile.
The units will operate jointly, making them the largest industrial-scale hybrid renewable generation center in the country, capable of generating around 910 GWh per year, enough energy to power over 415,000 Chilean homes.
During the peak construction of this new renewable unit, around 900 jobs were created, including the hiring of local men and women from the towns of Calama and Sierra Gorda, who accounted for 30% of the total workers involved in the development process.