Soventix planning 50 MW solar plant in Chile’s Atacama region

Solar-Farm-Chile (image courtesy: as-coa.org)

The Chilean arm of the German PV systems integrator Soventix is planning a 50MW project, Cochayuyo, in the Atacama region.

The $73 million project will cover 100 hectares, Soventix has stated in an environmental impact assessment report it submitted to the Chilean authorities.

The report says that the project would supply Chile’s SIC grid. The country has been working towards the objective of weaning itself off fossil fuel imports.

Soventix hopes to complete the project by October, once the necessary approval is granted.

Chile is one of the world’s fastest developing solar markets offering vast resources and high power prices that make PV a competitive source of electricity without the need for subsidy.

GTM Research in a recent study found that the photovoltaic market in Latin America had grown by 370 percent in 2014. This came about with the addition of 625MW of solar power installations.

Chile accounted for three fourths of the capacity added across the region last year.

One other reason for the huge jump in Chile’s renewable energy in 2014 was that the solar PV constructions in the region got completed and operationalized in the year. In the first quarter of 2015, Chile has seen a record increase in the number of large-scale installations.

Ajith Kumar S

[email protected]