Latin America PV News Snippets

• Scatec will install one of the company's largest solar power plants with 532 MW capacity in Brazil
• Canadian Solar identifies its Colombian auction capacity win as 52 MW in Atlantico region
• Solarpack has won 252 MW solar in the same Colombian auction which it will execute in the form of 2 solar power plants
• Argentina has awarded priority dispatch to 365 MW of solar and wind energy capacity

532 MW Scatec solar plant in Brazil: Norway's Scatec will install 532 MW Mendubim Solar Plant in Brazil's Rio Grande do Norte, announced the state government. The project will be one of the Norwegian company's largest solar projects and installed in Assu city. More than 60% of the energy generated by the BRL 1.6 billion facility will be supplied to the local aluminum industry in the state of Maranhao. Construction on site will begin in March 2022 and commercial operations begin from July 2023. Currently, the state government said the project is at an advanced stage of development, and is seeking environmental clearance. In December 2020, Norwegian aluminum company Norsk Hydro signed an agreement with Scatec and Equinor for a 480 MW solar power plant to come up in Rio Grande do Norte (see Norwegian Aluminium Company Seeks Solar In Brazil).

Canadian Solar wins 52 MW solar in Colombia: Canadian Solar has announced winning 52 MW solar power capacity in the recent public auction conducted by the Ministry of Energy in Colombia (see Solar Sweeps Colombia's 3^rd RE Auction).  The Caracoli Solar Project will be located in the Atlantico region. Construction on site is expected to start in Q2/2022. Power generated is to be procured by 'reputable' offtakers once the facility is online in 2023. This win for the company is its 2^nd in Colombia after it won Colombia's 1^st utility scale battery storage project with 45 MW/45 MWh.

Solarpack wins 252 MW solar in Colombia: Solarpack Corporacion Tecnologica has secured 252 MW solar power capacity in the Colombian energy auction. The company said the 2 solar power plants that make up this capacity will be located in Cesar and Cordoba departments. Solarpack will now seek financial closure and project construction for the facilities that are likely to generate 450 GWh annually once these are online in 2023.

Argentina gives priority to 365 MW RE: The wholesale power market administrator Cammesa in Argentina has awarded priority dispatch to a total of 5 wind energy and 2 solar power projects with a combined capacity of 365 MW. Solar capacity making it to the list totals 108 MW. According to local media, these 7 projects made it from the list of 22 renewable energy projects that participated in the country's 3^rd call for term market Mater. Projects selected will need to make requisite payments to be allowed to enter bilateral contracts with large energy users.