The Chilean Ministry of National Assets has selected 8 companies to allocate federal land to develop renewable energy projects with a combined capacity of over 2,614 MW to be developed for an investment of more than $2.5 billion. Winners were selected out of 15 original offers received, and these will now develop their projects on 11 parcels of land.
The 8 winners were revealed by the ministry as EDF, Engie, Enel, SolarPack, Solarcentury, Copiapo Energia Solar, Sonnedix and Caldera Solar, however it did not specify the exact capacities they will develop at the awarded sites. Land will be rented by the ministry to these companies for a period of 40 years, for which the winners will pay rent to the government, as per news report in El Mercurio.
Solarcentury separately announced winning 3 sites under the auction to develop 1.04 GW DC/963 MW AC solar power capacity, claiming it as the largest share of sites in number and size compared to other winning developers. It will develop 314 MW DC Pintados project near Pica in Tarapaca region, while 185 MW DC Sureste de Calama and 537 MW DC Maria Elena Noreste projects will be located in Antofagasta region.
The British solar projects developer plans to invest around $950 million on the development of these 3 projects in Chile over the next 3 years.
"The projects are all in the North of Chile in the heart of the mining region. The projects will operate without any form of Government subsidy and a rent will be paid to the Government for the use of the land," stated Solarcentury. "Yield is expected to reach as much as 3,000 kWh/kWp."
Imagining a 100% renewable energy powered Chile by 2050, a team of researchers earlier this year see solar PV accounting for 43.6 GW of total installed power capacity in the country, increasing from 1.1 GW in 2015 (see Chile Holds Scope For 43.6 GW Solar PV By 2050).
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