ACCIONA has begun construction of the Malgarida I and II photovoltaic complex in Chile. The project has a combined capacity of 238MWp and will be the group's seventh renewable energy facility in the country. Once commissioned, in 2021, the plant will increase ACCIONA's installed capacity in Chile to 922MW.
The Malgarida I and II photovoltaic projects will require a US$170 million investment and will reach an annual generation of 654GWh. This amount is equivalent to the electricity demand of 280.000 Chilean homes. Once in operation, by the end of 2021, the new plant will prevent the emission of 512.000 tons of CO2 each year.
The new facilities require 580,000 modules, which will be set upon horizontal trackers across an area of 535 hectares. The Malgarida I and II project will create 700 jobs at the peak of its construction.
"Over the last two years, ACCIONA has focused a large part of its investments in Chile on renewable energies. From late 2019 to date, we have commissioned two wind farms and two photovoltaic plants totalling 400MW and nearly US$600 million in investments. The construction launch of the Malgarida I and II projects reflects the company's confidence in the Chilean market, while reinforcing ACCIONA's leading position in the development of renewable energy in the country", said José Ignacio Escobar, ACCIONA's Head of Energy for South America.
ACCIONA reached a 684MW operational capacity in Chile in 2020, with the recent entry into operation of the company's Tolpán wind farm (84MW) and Usya photovoltaic plant (64MWp).
The Tolpán Sur wind farm (84MW) is located in Chile's Araucanía Region, in the Renaico commune. The installation includes 28 Nordex AW132/3000 wind turbines, each with a 132-meter rotor diameter and a 3MW power capacity. The farm's turbines are placed atop 120-meter high concrete towers, which were manufactured locally in a facility nearby. This new wind farm is adjacent to the company's San Gabriel wind project (183MW), already in operation in the Araucania region.
Tolpán Sur will generate more than 307GWh of clean energy to supply nearly 140,000 homes. It will prevent the emission of 240,000 tons of CO2 per year into the atmosphere.
The Usya photovoltaic plant (64MWp) is located in the municipality of Calama, in Chile's Antofagasta Region. The project required the installation of 187,200 modules on fixed structures, covering an area of 105 hectares.
Usya will generate 146GWh of emission-free energy per year, which is equivalent to the electricity demand of 70,000 Chilean households. The plant will avoid 115,000 tons of CO2.
