Chile prepares to add 2.2 GW of solar power generation

• 11 years ago (2013-01-22)
• David Flin

Renewables 757

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Chile’s National Energy Commission (CNE) said that it was feasible to connect up to 2.2 GW of solar plants to the national grid over the next 15 years. This was part of a newly published plan for the expansion of the national transmission system.

The 125-page report estimates the cost of investing in photovoltaic energy development in Chile amounts to $2500 per kW, equal to the price of building coal generation plants in the northern electricity transmission system (SING), and slightly more expensive than building coal plants ($2350/kW) in the central electricity system (SIC). The report lists 13 solar plants with a combined capacity of 1.5 GW that are expected to come online on SING up to 2028.

According to the plan, the 100 MW Sol De Lua and Crucero 1 plants are due to come online in 2014, followed by the 50 MW Arica 1 and 100 MW Crucero 2 in 2015. In 2016, the 50 MW Arica 2 and 100 MW Pozo Almonte 1 will start production, followed by the 100 MW Crucero 3 and Laguna 2 in 2018, and the 100 MW Pozo Almonte 2 in 2019. Three more 200 MW plants are scheduled to come online: Solar Sing 1 and Solar Sing 2 in 2026, and Solar Sing 3 two years later.

Eight more plants totalling 700 MW are slated for development on the SIC network, including the 100 MW Sol de Almagro 1, Inca de Oro 1, and Carrera Pinto 1 in 2018, and the 50 MW Sol de Vallenar 1 by 2019. The remaining four plants, the 100 MW Sol de Almagro 2, Inca de Oro 2, and Carrera Pinto 2, and the 50 MW Sol de Vallenar 2, will be developed by 2027.