Spanish independent power producer (IPP) Zelestra has started construction at a 242MW solar PV project in Perú.
Located in the southern region of Arequipa, the Babilonia solar project forms part of a wider solar complex—dubbed La Joya—that is forecast to have a combined capacity of almost 700MW. This includes the country’s largest operational solar PV plant, the 300MW San Martín solar project, which began operations last year, and a 125MW project in advanced development.
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In total, nearly 400,000 bifacial panels will be installed at the Babilonia solar project, while commercial operation is expected in the first half of 2027.
According to the Spanish IPP, the project was enabled by a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with Peruvian power provider Celepsa, signed in April 2025.
José Luis García Pérez, CEO of Zelestra in Latin America, said: “Peru is a key market for Zelestra in the region. Babilonia reflects our long-term commitment to developing large-scale, reliable and high-performance projects that generate value for our customers, drive the energy transition and contribute to the economic and social development of the communities where we operate.”
Construction of the Babilonia project began only two months after the Spanish IPP signed an agreement to sell its 3.5GW Latin American renewables platform to Colombian natural gas firm Promigas. At the time of the sale agreement, the company said that Europe and the US would remain its primary markets.
