EDF, Marubeni partner on unsubsidised 146MW Chilean solar plant

PV Magazine

France’s EDF Energies Nouvelles will partner with Japan’s Marubeni to develop a 146 MW power plant in Chile’s Atacama Desert. The Laberinto PV power plant will be one of the largest upon completion.

The Atacama desert has become a highlight of the global solar industry, however there are concerns regarding remaining transmission capacity.
ESO/B. Tafreshi/Wikipedia

Chile’s large-scale PV market remains a global highlight, with the latest project a 146MW utility scale array to be connected to he Northern Interconnected System. The project marks EDF Energies Nouvelles entry into the Chilean market, the 20th country in which the firm is active.

EDF has formed a subsidiary EDF EN Chile to execute on the project and pursue further activities in the Latin America solar leader. EDF will carry out the construction on the project and the O&M.

A number of superlatives apply to the project. Located in the Atacama Desert, the array will be exposed to the highest irradiation levels in the world. Furthermore, at 146MW it will be one of the world’s largest merchant PV power plants. A merchant plant takes prices from the market, rather than from a contracted supply.

“By expanding into Chile just after Brazil… in the South American continent, EDF Energies Nouvelles has achieved one of its objectives to develop its activities in emerging markets with a high development potential, and Laberinto, a sizable solar project, is a perfect example,” said company CEO Antoine Cahuzac. He continued that the quality of the project is displayed by the high profile lenders including Japan’s Marubeni.

The project is the third between EDF and Marubeni having previously partnered on two North American projects.

Marubeni says the project aligns with its strategy to develop low-carbon generation sources and expand into Latin America. Labertinto is Marubeni’s first in the region.

Source: PV Magazine. Reproduced with permission.