SANTIAGO – The LATAM Airlines Group has signed an agreement to have 80% of its energy consumption in Chile powered by renewable projects of Madrid-based Acciona from September this year, the Spanish company said in a statement.
Acciona’s projects will power LATAM’s facilities at Arturo Merino Benítez Airport in Santiago de Chile, including its corporate offices and the operation and maintenance base for its aircraft fleet.
This supply will allow the airline to avoid the emission of 5,850 tonnes of CO2 to the atmosphere per year, producing the same air cleaning effect as that of 292,500 trees through photosynthesis.
“It is very good news for the country that reference companies in their respective markets should decide to cover their electricity consumption with energy from 100% renewable generation facilities, such as those owned by Acciona in Chile”, says Acciona Energía CEO for South America José Ignacio Escobar.
LATAM Airlines Group Senior Sustainability Manager Enrique Guzmán adds: “We are the airline with the most extensive network of connections in Latin America, serving 70 million passengers a year and connecting 143 destinations around the world. This means we have a responsibility in terms of caring for the environment, a deep-rooted commitment in our work, and we expect to continue making progress in the use of renewable energies in our operations.”
Acciona’s energy portfolio in Chile consists of the 246-MWp El Romero Solar photovoltaic plant in the Atacama Desert and the 45-MW Punta Palmeras wind farm in the region of Coquimbo. It is currently building a second wind farm (San Gabriel, with a capacity of 183 MW) in La Araucanía, and over the next year will begin construction work on the Almeyda and Usya photovoltaic plants in the regions of Atacama and Antofagasta, respectively, and the Tolpán wind farm in La Araucanía.
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The National Mining Company of Chile (ENAMI) also contracted Acciona Energía to supply 100% of its electricity from renewable energy sources from April this year.
