Chile plans massive hybrid wind-solar-storage plant

Santiago-based power company AES Gener has taken an important step in developing a mammoth hybrid renewable energy project in Chile, after it has submitted the environmental impact statement for its planned 862.5MW wind + solar + storage hybrid Parque Terra Energía Renovable project.

AES Gener submitted the Environment Impact Study to the Servicio de Evaluación Ambiental de la República de Chile (SEA), Chile’s environmental evaluation service, in which it outlines the details of the proposed project and its possible environmental impacts.

The Parque Terra Energía Renovable project as designed will consist of 350MW of wind, using fifty 7MW turbines, and 512.5MW of solar PV, made up of 1,102,080 bifacial panels mounted on trackers. The project will also have two battery storage systems, but little information has been provided on that front.

Set to be located in the commune of Taltal in Antofagasta, Parque Terra will require investment of $US750 million ($A1,035 million) and is designed with a useful lifespan of 35 years. Construction is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2022 with operation expected for the first half of 2024.

The Parque Terra Energía Renovable project will join a growing list of Chilean renewable energy projects which are helping to elevate Chile as a potential hotspot for renewable growth. According to figures published by the Comisión Nacional de Energía (CNE), Chile’s national energy commission, the country’s renewable energy output for June was 1,168GWh, accounting for 8.2% of the country’s total monthly electricity production.

Meanwhile, Chile’s total installed renewable energy capacity climbed to 5,901MW in June, and accounted for 24% of total installed capacity.