First Solar gets approval for 369MW PV plant in Chile

The Environment Agency of Chile (EIS) has approved the construction of a 369 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) park in the northern Antofagasta region.

The total investment for the project, dubbed Sol del Desierto, is estimated at US$823 million. The Chilean subsidiary of First Solar, Inc., the US solar developer and technology provider, will develop the solar PV park project.

The expected solar electricity production of about 1.035GWh annually will be fed into the nation’s northern network power grid (SING).

According to sources, the 369MW project will be developed in a place where there is high level of solar radiation and close to the transmission network and centres of power demand. The project will be connected to the 220-kV Crucero-Lagunas line and the future Rica Aventura substation.

On 26 June 2014, we published that First Solar, Inc. and BELECTRIC GmbH announced the grid connection of three utility-scale solar PV power plants in the United Kingdom. The projects are the following:

• the 14MW Marsh Solar Farm in Wiltshire, is owned by, German asset management group KGAL’s ESPF 3 renewable energy fund for institutional investors;
• the 10.5MW Weston Longville Solar Farm in Norfolk and owned by Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Partners Fund, and
• the 10MW Holton Solar Farm in Suffolk owned by Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Partners Fund.