SANTIAGO – Australia’s Pacific Hydro has boosted its plans for a Latin America-wide expansion of renewable energy projects after bringing online its first Chilean wind farm on Friday.
The 32 turbines of the Punta Sierra wind farm are ready to generate clean and renewable energy for Chile. It is the first Pacific Hydro wind farm in the country and the first wind farm financed by China State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) in the South American country.
The project in Ovalle, in Coquimbo Region of Chile, involved an investment of US$ 140 million.
“We are happy to open our first wind farm, a milestone that not only marks the diversification of our business portfolio, but is the first step to continue developing projects with SPIC. We want to take advantage of all their experience, given that it is the largest generator of solar energy in the world with 13,700 MW and a leader in wind energy with more than 11,600 MW, to grow in Chile and Latin America,” said Pacific Hydro CEO Renzo Valentino.
Punta Sierra has an installed capacity of 82 MW, will generate about 282 GWh/year and has 32 Goldwind turbines of 2.55 MW. The energy generated by the park could supply clean and silent fuel to half of the current Transantiago fleet, that is, 3,000 buses per year. The capacity of your substation, in addition, will facilitate the connection of new projects in the area.
For the development of the project, Pacific Hydro would have worked closely with neighboring communities. The company also highlights the implementation of a solar miniparque in Caleta Sierra and the support for the electrification process of Mantos de Hornillos.
Corría mucho viento en Punta Sierra. ¿No es bueno aprovecharlo como fuente de energía limpia? ??♀️La ministra @susanajimenezs lo comenta⚡️ pic.twitter.com/gzGKxqOB70
— Energía (@MinEnergia) August 24, 2018
Energy Minister Susana Jiménez, meanwhile, stressed that the Punta Sierra wind farm will contribute to reducing the country’s greenhouse gases, since it will offset 100 thousand tons of CO2 per year, which is equivalent to removing approximately 40 thousand cars of circulation.
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“As our President says, Chile is a country poor in the energies of the past, like fossil biofuels, but very rich in clean and renewable energies of the present and the future, such as sun, wind and water. Our duty as a Government, then, is to develop the natural potentials to generate a sustainable and integral development that improves the quality of life of our compatriots,” she added.
The Minister for Economy, José Ramón Valente said “Growth can only be sustainable with investments that put their focus on the environment and the communities. That is why we congratulate the opening of the Punta Sierra wind farm and we will continue working from the Ministry with the GPS office to attract new investments”.
El crecimiento sólo puede ser sostenible con inversiones que pongan su foco en el medio ambiente y las comunidades. Por ello felicitamos la apertura del Parque Eólico Punta Sierra y seguiremos trabajando desde el Ministerio con la oficina GPS para atraer nuevas inversiones. pic.twitter.com/r7kvI0YiIo
— José Ramón Valente (@joservalente) August 24, 2018
The ceremony was attended by senior executives of SPIC, who valued this first step in Chile and highlighted the historic relationship between both countries.
SPIC vice president Yi Jiang said Pacific Hydro “is an important platform to work in clean energy. SPIC is confident and determined to further increase the investment of clean energy in the future, thus facilitating, together with Chile, a path of clean and green development”.
According to the company’s projections, the Punta Sierra wind farm will supply energy equivalent to 130,000 homes per year.
