Latin America PV News Snippets

Elera Renovaveis energizes the 'largest' solar complex in Brazil with 1.2 GW capacity in Minas Gerais region with over 2 million panels; Voltalia swtiches on 17 MW out of a 260 MW PV project in Brazil; Enel Green Power Chile is authorized by the National Electricity Coordinator to start commercial operations of its 144 MW PV capacity; Grenergy achieves financial closure for 300 MW solar PV capacity in Chile; Greening Group signs the 'largest' on-site PPA contract for distributed generation in Mexico for 41.9 MW capacity.

Elera's solar complex switched on in Brazil: Elera Renovaveis or Elera Renewables has announced commissioning its 1.2 GW Janauba Solar Complex in Brazil's Minas Gerais region calling it the largest such complex operational in the country and one among the largest solar plants in Latin America. The complex is made up of 20 parks, all using over 2 million solar panels. Elera Renewables was previously known as Brookfield Energia Renovavel which sold the complex to Solatio. Nextracker of the US was among the suppliers for the project (see Nextracker Gets 830 MW Solar Tracker Order For Brazil).

Another 17 MW PV online in Brazil: Voltalia has started commercial operations for 17 MW out of 260 MW of SSM3-6 solar power plant in Brazil's Serra Branca cluster in Rio Grande do Norte. Remaining capacity will be gradually commissioned in the coming months, the company shared. It comprises Solar Serra do Mel 3, 4, 5 and 6 projects that went under construction in March 2022 (see Latin America PV News Snippets). The project is contracted to supply its electricity generated to Brazilian utility Copel under a 14-year power purchase agreement (PPA). It is part of a larger 2.4 GW Serra Branca Complex that the French company describes as the largest wind and solar complex in the world.

144 MW solar capacity online in Chile: An Enel Chile subsidiary Enel Green Power Chile has secured clearance from the National Electricity Coordinator to start commercial operations of its new PV generation plants with 144 MW combined capacity. The 126 MW Finis Terrae Extension and 18 MW Finis Terrae III solar projects are located in the commune of María Elena in the Antofagasta Region. Both the projects will together generate 448 GWh of clean energy annually. Enel installed 332,000 bifacial solar PV panels along with wireless trackers.

300 MW Chilean projects secure financing: Grenergy has announced financial closure for the construction of 2 solar power plants in Chile, secured $148 million for the projects. Financing has been provided by French banks BNP Paribas and Societe Générale as a green loan. The 241 MW Gran Teno is the company's largest solar farm and is coming up in the Curicó province, near Santiago de Chile. It is designed to generate 477 GWh annually. The other project Tamango will have 48 MW installed capacity. It has a commercial operation schedule of Q1/2024. Grenergy says it is building 500 MW renewable energy plants in the Chile market and developing 3.3 GW between solar and wind and 4 GWh of battery projects here currently.

Greening Group's DG contract in Mexico: Greening Group in Mexico will set up 139 on-site self-consumption solar installations with a combined 41.9 MW capacity, under what it terms is the largest on-site power purchase agreement (PPA) contract for distributed generation in the country. The company has signed this contract through its susbsidiary Greening Concesiones Mexico for 15 years. It identifies the client as a leading listed Mexican company in the feeding sector, according to a media report in the El Economista. All these installations are targeted to be complete within next 9 months for a total investment of $38 million.