Approval granted for 300MW GDF Suez Chile project

A US$600 million, 300MW PV plant in Chile took another step towards construction last week when authorities gave approval to the projects Environmental Impact Declaration (EID).

PV Tech reported in September last year that project developer EC-L, which is a Chilean affiliate of French energy company GDF Suez, filed the document with the Environmental Evaluation Services of the Region of Arica and Parinacota.

According to an Envrionment Evaluation Services document, the proposed power plant, Pampa Camarones Photovoltaic Solar Plant, will require total investment of over US$620 million, although a press release on the EC-L website rounded the figure down to US$600 million. The plant will provide electricity to the country’s Northern Electricity Grid (SING).

EC-L is the principal generator on SING and the construction of the 300MW project will be carried out in phases. Energy generated will pass through three substations, including a significant extension to an existing substation that EC-L plans to build, which according to EC-L, “implies the construction of at least three transmission lines”.

To date EC-L has connected only 2MW of PV generation capacity, at El Águila 1 Photovoltaic Solar Plant, finished and brought online in July 2013, although the company has also had environmental approval granted for El Águila 2, a 40MW PV plant.