Top 25 Biggest Announced Solar PV Projects in Chile

The list of projects is compiled from official sources at the Comisión Nacional de Energía de Chile. This enables us to identify projects currently under construction with government approval, as it is highly unlikely that the entirety of the current pipeline of 16 GWp will be installed. However, this explains why a company such as Alen Walung, is not yet included in the list, despite having more than 1 GWp of permits filed with the environmental agency. Additionally, there are a few huge projects not included in the list, though they are on the verge of development. For example, the 300 MWp La Higuera, and the 273 MWp Vallenar plants by Cox Energy have not been included due to the lack of information regarding their present status.

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If we take a look at the list, expectations are high for Spanish company Ingenostrum, which is using its subsidiary, Helio Atacama, to develop the number one project of 146 MWp in the Antofagasta region, which will be connected to the Northern SING grid. Additionally, Ingenostrum is developing the Pampa solar and Blue Sky projects.

Diving deeper into the list, it will become clear that Sunedison and Enel Green Power have finished the development of their largest projects in previous quarters, but maintain their positions as major developers in Chile. SunEdison adds another exciting project to its pipeline with the 144 MWp Olmue project in the densely populated region of Valparaiso. Enel Green Power is developing the 138 MWp Finis Terrae project in the Antofagasta region. In between SunEdison and Enel we find First Solar. The American manufacturer is constructing the 141 MWp Luz del Norte solar power plant in Chile’s Atacama Desert. This project is the first of several projects First Solar has in its regional development pipeline.

Six projects around 100 MWp are under construction by Pattern Energy, Abengoa Solar, Parque Eólico Quillagua, Austrian Solar, and Enel Green Power. They are expected to supply electricity to the national grid well within the next two years.

Other companies worth mentioning are RIJN Capital and Gestamp Solar. RIJN Capital Chile was established by a Dutch based investment management firm that pursues opportunities in Renewable Energy. They are already constructing multiple plants with a cumulative capacity of 131 MWp. Spanish firm, Gestamp Solar, is developing two solar power plants in the Atacama and the Antofagasta region. Both the Uribe Solar and Guanaco Solar plant have a capacity of 50 MWp and are expected to supply electricity to the grid around autumn 2015.

Debt providers
The financial arrangements for the projects are most often provided by OPIC, and the IFC. The IADB has been very active in announced projects and could surpass the other two in 2015.

Source (for data):
Comisión Nacional de Energía
Ref: Actualiza y comunica obras de generacion y transmision en construcción
Date: 20 March 2015

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