ACCIONA To Build 400 Megawatts Of Wind & Solar In Chile

Spanish renewable energy company ACCIONA has announced that it will build four new renewable energy projects worth a total of 400 megawatts (MW) in Chile, made up of two solar farms and two wind farms.

ACCIONA Energía announced on Tuesday that it will take three years to build two new solar PV plants in the regions of Atacama and Antofagasta, and two wind farms in La Araucanía, with a total capacity of around 400 MW and investment from ACCIONA of approximately $600 million (€500 million).

ACCIONA will begin construction in 2019 on the 62 megawatt (MW) Almeyda photovoltaic plant which it expects will be completed by the end of the year. This will be followed a few months later by the beginning of construction on the 64 MW Usya photovoltaic plant which is expected to enter into service in mid-2020.

In addition to the two solar projects, which will benefit from investment of around $150 million, ACCIONA will also build two wind farms in the region of La Araucanía. Specifically, ACCIONA is already constructing the 183 MW San Gabriel wind farm in the municipality of Renaico, which received investment of $300 million, and which is expected to enter into operation by the end of 2019 or early 2020. This will be accompanied by the nearby 87 MW Tolpán wind farm.

“We are undertaking major investments over this three-year period, which will considerably strengthen our presence in the thriving renewable energy sector in Chile,” said ACCIONA Energía CEO, South America José Ignacio Escobar.

This is not ACCIONA’s first foray into Chile, having already completed the construction of the 246 MW El Romero Solar photovoltaic plant in the region of Atacama, which was earlier this year confirmed via Power Purchase Agreement as the supplier of 100% of the electricity for the National Mining Company of Chile.

Chile itself is also emerging as one of the potentially vital Latin America countries which could support the continued growth and development of wind and solar technologies as former-powerhouses begin to see their levels plateau and level off. Just a few weeks ago, MAKE Consulting highlighted Chile alongside Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico as one of the potential Latin American countries which will spur near-term wind power growth.