Latin American energy developer, Pattern Chile Development Holdings, is planning a 306MW PV power plant in the Antofagasta region of northern Chile.
Details of the project are contained in an environmental impact statement submitted by the company to the region’s Environmental Assessment Service.
The site for anticipated ‘Proyecto Solar Conejo’ project is 32km northeast of Taltal in Antofagasta, and power from the project would feed into Chile’s Central interconnected system (SIC).
According to Pattern Chile, part of US-based Pattern Energy, the project requires US$819 million dollars of investment and, if approved, will be built in three stages of 130MW, 46MW and then 130MW.
Construction is slated to start 30 September 2014, and the system is expected to have a 30-year life span, making the most of the high irradiance levels and close transmission lines.
Over the last several months, 24 NCRE project applications have been approved by The Ministry of National Assets for land concessions on over 12,707 hectares of land. Seven applications are wind farms, totalling 889MW, and 17 are solar, totalling 604MW.
Out a total of 265 NCRE applications for land concessions, yet to be approved, 123 are concentrated in the Antofagasta region.
Chile has recently revised its renewable energy target to 20% by 2025.
