Latin America PV Snippets: NEC, Powertis, Piaui, Celsia

• NextEnergy Capital has expanded its Chilean solar portfolio with the addition of 45.3 MW capacity
• Powertis has secured BRL 520 million financing from Banco de Nordeste to construct its 375 MW Graviola Solar Project in Brazil
• Piaui state government of Brazil plans to prepare a solar atlas for the region to ascertain its energy potential, and to attract investments in the sector
• Celsia has commissioned its 4^th large-scale solar power generation project in Colombia with 9.8 MW capacity

45.3 MW solar portfolio in Chile exchanges hands: The international institutional solar fund of NextEnergy Capital (NEC), NextPower III ESG (NPIII ESG) has acquired 45.3 MW Portfolio Guanaco II solar portfolio in Chile from an unidentified 'leading' Spanish developer with a global pipeline of over 6 GW in various stages of development in Europe and Latin America. It covers 5 separate projects in Central and Northern regions of the country. Power generated by these projects will be sold under the country's PMGD regime. Along with NPIII ESG's Q4/2020 acquisition of 42.2 MW, its total portfolio now adds up to 21 plants with an installed capacity of 485 MW. It claims to have a significant portfolio of further acquisition targets with an installed capacity of 358 MW and a further 1.7 GW under negotiation. NextEnergy Capital describes NPIII ESG as a 10-year closed ended fund that has already raised $530 million with a hard cap target of $1 billion by year-end 2021, that aims to provide positive social and environmental impact to the countries it has an will invest into.

In June 2021, NPIII ESG secured $232 million commitment from new investors taking the total funds raised to $530 million. Its parent NEC expects the fund to achieve a portfolio of between 2.5 GW and 3.0 GW operational solar projects across its target markets upon full capital deployment.

Financing for 375 MW Brazilian solar project: Spanish solar project developer Powertis has raised BRL 520 million ($101 million) from Brazilian bank Banco de Nordeste to fund the construction of its 375 MW solar power plant. Graviola Solar Project will be located in São João do Piauí municipality and is expected to create 1,200 direct jobs in the region. It takes the company's global pipeline to 6 GW in projects at various stages of development, including 2 GW in Brazil, 2.4 GW in Spain and 1.5 GW in Italy, added Powertis in a statement. It is currently constructing 2 solar power plants with 225 MW capacity in Brazil's Araxa and Pedranopolis regions.

Solar atlas of Piaui, Brazil: The State Government of Piaui in Brazil wants to create a Solar Atlas of Piaui, after the Association of Solar Energy Companies (Apisolar) proposed the same. It will include the state's energy potential to enable the sector to attract investments in the sector. According to the state administration, "he document will provide precise information on solar irradiation in the state, as well as other essential technical data for reliability and economy in the generation of electrical or thermal solar energy, in addition to the potential of the state in this area, with the projects installed, those that are already underway."

For this, a study and availability of data will be carried out by the state's Ministry of Mining, Oil and Renewable Energies (Seminper) in partnership with the Cultural Foundation and for the Promotion of Research, Education, Extension and Innovation (Fadex).

Celsia energizes 9.8 MW project in Colombia: Energy utility Celsia has commissioned 9.8 MW Celsia Solar El Carmelo Project in Colombia as the company's 4^th large-scale solar facility in the country. The project has come up in the municipality of Candelaria, Valle del Cauca and is contracted to supply power from 3.7 MW for the national grid, and from remaining 6.1 MW it will power the manufacturing facility of chicken producer Pollos Bucanero, part of the Cargill group. It would help Pollos Bucanero to meet 39.3% of its electricity demand from solar power, explained Celsia. The project was built by Celsia along with Cubico Sustainable Investment, with whom it has more than 15 solar farms under evaluation in the country.