Total and SunPower to power Santiago’s Metro with 100MWac solar plant

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Chile President Michelle Bachelet attended the announcement on solar powering Santiago's Metro. credit:

Total and its affiliate SunPower have agreed to supply electricity from a 100MWac solar PV project to the Metro of Santiago in Chile.

The El Pelícano Solar Project, located near La Higuera in Coquimbo Region, will supply up to 60% of the energy requirements of the Santiago city metro, providing 300GWh each year.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

SunPower claimed that Santiago’s metro, which serves 2.2 million passengers every day, would be the first public transportation system in the world to run mostly on solar energy.

Construction of the solar power plant will begin this year, with expected operation by the end of 2017.

SunPower will design and build the project and provide operations and maintenance once it is operational. It will use a SunPower Oasis power plant system, which is a modular solar power block that is engineered for rapid deployment of utility-scale solar projects and optimizing land use. This includes robotic solar panel cleaning capability that the firm claims uses 75% less water than traditional cleaning methods and can help improve system performance by up to 15%.

Eduardo Medina, executive vice president, global power plants, SunPower, said: “SunPower is proud to serve Metro of Santiago's growing energy demand with cost-competitive, renewable solar power. Solar is an ideal energy source for Chile because of the country's high solar resource and transparent energy policies. In partnership with Total, SunPower is committed to the continued growth of our business in Chile.”

Total owns a 60% stake in SunPower and recently signalled its intent to purchase energy storage manufacturer Saft. Commenting on that deal, Phil Grant, a partner with energy consultancy Baringa Partners said it was a “significant deal” that showed big oil companies are now looking to make bigger strides into low carbon energy industries.

Read Next

September 2, 2025
Spanish construction firm GES (Global Energy Services) has secured a contract to build a roughly 700MW solar-wind-storage hybrid project in Chile.
September 2, 2025
Spanish independent power producer (IPP) Grenergy has sold the fourth phase of its flagship solar-plus-storage project in Chile, Oasis de Atacama.
August 29, 2025
Independent power producer (IPP) Verano Energy has closed a US$204 financing for a 83MW/660MWh solar-plus-storage project in Chile.
August 5, 2025
Utility AES Andes has started construction on two renewable energy projects in Chile, with a combined 1.3GW of capacity.
July 3, 2025
Renewable energy curtailment in Brazil is set to reach 8% across the country, and be as high as 11% in the north-east, by 2035.
July 1, 2025
Spanish independent power producer (IPP) Zelestra has secured financing and reached financial close for its 220MW solar-plus-storage plant in Chile.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines