Abengoa Celebrates Start of Construction for Its Photovoltaic Plant in Atacama 1, the Largest Solar Complex in Latin America
January 26 2015 - 11:06AM
- Atacama 1 solar complex, with an overall installed capacity of
210 MW, will include the first solar thermal plant in Latin America
and a photovoltaic plant
- Both technologies complement each other to supply clean and
stable energy 24 hours a day
Abengoa (MCE:ABG.B/P SM) (Nasdaq:ABGB), the international company
that applies innovative technology solutions for sustainability in
the energy and environment sectors, celebrated today the start of
the construction of the photovoltaic plant that will be part of
Atacama 1 solar complex, located in the north of Chile (Comuna de
María Elena, Segunda Región).
The event was attended by Luis Avila, Electricity and Fuel
Superintendent of the Ministry of Energy of Chile, and the mayor of
the commune of María Elena, Jorge Godoy, to celebrate the start of
the construction which will be part of the largest solar platform
in Latin America.
The project is based in the Atacama Desert, the region with the
highest level of solar radiation in the world. Atacama 1 will
feature a photovoltaic plant with a capacity of 100 MW and the
first solar thermal plant in Latin America, with 110 MW of
installed capacity and 17.5 hours of thermal storage. The overall
solar field of the complex covers 1,000 hectares.
The photovoltaic plant will be the largest of its type in the
Grand North region, with an installed capacity of 100 MW and
392,000 solar panels that capture the energy from the sun to
deliver it directly to the grid.
The solar thermal electric plant, in construction since
2014, will have 10,600 heliostats and the solar field will
cover approximately 700 hectares. Heliostats concentrate solar
radiation onto a receiver located at the top of a 250 meter high
tower. Radiation coming from the sun is used to heat molten
salts. The molten salts create the steam necessary to power a
turbine of 110 MW, which generates clean electricity.
The plant will also feature a thermal storage system with molten
salts that will permit it to deliver stable energy 24 hours a
day.
The platform will prevent the emission of around 870,000 tons of
CO2 annually and will allow it to meet the energy demand from
households and industry by combining both technologies.
It is estimated that the photovoltaic plant will start operation
by the end of 2015 and the solar thermal plant in the second
quarter of 2017.
Abengoa has been present in Chile since 1987, where it has
carried out numerous projects for companies in different sectors,
including mining, electricity, communications and industrial sector
companies. This new plant will further consolidate its
technological commitment to solar thermal electric power and
innovation.
Abengoa currently has 1,503 MW of installed capacity in
commercial operation, 360 MW under construction and 210 MW in
development and it is the only company in the world to construct
and operate solar thermal electric plants using both tower and
parabolic trough technologies.
About Abengoa
Abengoa (MCE:ABG.B/P SM) (Nasdaq:ABGB) applies innovative
technology solutions for sustainability in the energy and
environment sectors, generating electricity from renewable
resources, converting biomass into biofuels and producing drinking
water from sea water. (www.abengoa.com)
CONTACT: Communication Department
Patricia Malo de Molina Melendez
Tel. +34 954 93 71 11
E-mail: communication@abengoa.com
Investor relations:
Barbara Zubiria Furest
Tel. +34 954 937 111
E-mail: ir@abengoa.com