Enel Starts Construction of Chile’s Largest Solar Plant

Enel Chile has announced that it has begun the construction work on its new solar plant, Campos del Sol with approximately 382 MW of installed capacity.

Enel, through its renewable subsidiary Enel Green Power Chile, has announced that it has begun the construction work on its new solar photovoltaic (PV) plant, Campos del Sol in Chile. With approximately 382 MW of installed capacity, the facility is the largest solar plant currently under construction in the South American nation.

The project, which is located 60 km northeast of Copiapó, Atacama Region, will involve a total investment of around 320 million US dollars.

The project will start operations by the end of 2020 and is estimated to generate around 1,160 GWh per year, avoiding the emission of more than 900,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. The facility will boast around one million bifacial PV panels, a technology that maximises energy generation by capturing solar radiation from both sides of the panel, generating on average 12% more electricity than conventional modules.

Antonio Cammisecra, head of Enel Green Power, said that the start of construction of Campos del Sol marks a major milestone for Enel Green Power in Chile. And that by breaking ground at the country’s largest solar project, Enel is reinforcing its commitment to decarbonisation and once again confirming its leading role in the Chilean energy transition.

“The project’s sustainability focus, as well as innovative profile, are aimed at maximising shared returns for the Group and its stakeholders, in line with our strategy based on sustainability and innovation as key drivers for value creation.”

This solar project also stands out for its innovative, digital features. The construction site will leverage state-of-the-art machinery guided and controlled by a GPS, while an autonomous drone will remotely monitor worksite activities, boosting the plant’s construction process productivity and efficiency.

Enel, through all of its subsidiaries, is Chile’s largest power company by installed capacity with around 7,500 MW, out of which 4,700 MW of renewables, composed of more than 3,500 MW of hydro, over 600 MW of wind, around 500 MW of solar and approx. 40 MW of geothermal. In 2018, Enel in Chile sold around 23.2 TWh of electricity.