Andes Solar IV begins operation
Published by Oliver Kleinschmidt,
Assistant Editor
Energy Global,
In a new step in the execution of its strategy, AES Andes has announced the start of commercial operation of Andes Solar IV, a park located 230 km east of Antofagasta, in the heart of the Atacama Desert, and which is part of its solar hub in the region.
With this milestone, an additional capacity of 211 MW of photovoltaic panels and 130 MW of energy storage for five hours based on lithium batteries is added, making it the hub with the largest operational battery system in Latin America.
This technology is undoubtedly one of the indispensable solutions to alleviate transmission congestion in the National Electric System, as it allows solar energy to be stored during the day and injected into the system at night during peak demand hours.
"The entry into commercial operation of Andes Solar IV is a source of pride for the company and demonstrates that we continue to be the undisputed leaders in battery-based storage systems. We were pioneers in Chile in implementing this technology and today our renewable hub in Antofagasta has the largest system in Latin America, combining 667 MW of solar with 259 MW of batteries," said Javier Dib, CEO of AES Andes.
Dib added: "Our investment plan includes having more than 1600 MW of operational batteries by 2027 in Chile. This is a concrete demonstration of AES Andes' commitment to continue investing in the country, innovating, and contributing responsibly to the energy transition."
Since the launch of its strategy in 2018, AES Andes has taken substantial steps to reduce the emission intensity of its portfolio, with investments of more than US$1.8 billion that have allowed the incorporation of 1504 MW of wind, solar capacity and being the leader in Latin America in battery-based storage systems.
In Chile, it has initiatives under construction for 572 MW of renewable capacity, in addition to a portfolio of projects in advanced development stages with more than 1300 MW, all with an investment of over US$1.9 billion to be made between 2024 and 2027.
In September, the company also reported the entry into environmental processing of three new projects that together contemplate an installed capacity of more than 1700 MW of photovoltaic and 2400 MW of batteries, making it the company with the largest portfolio of renewable projects in the country with their respective Environmental Qualification Resolutions approved or in the process of approval.
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Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/solar/24102024/andes-solar-iv-begins-operation/
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