Chilean power utility Engie Energia Chile SA has obtained approval to launch commercial operation of its 181.25-MW solar photovoltaic (PV) farm in northern Chile, it said on Thursday.
The Coya solar farm, the largest renewable energy plant in Engie Chile’s portfolio, is capable of powering some 73,000 households, the company said. The facility was commissioned in late 2022.
The Coya site is located in a desert of the commune of Maria Elena in Antofagasta region. The plant features over 369.400 bifacial solar panels, which will be cleaned by robotic devices without using water.
In the future, Coya’s electricity output will be stored in a battery energy storage system (BESS) with a capacity of 638 MWh. Engie Chile said that the Coya BESS is currently under construction at the site.
“Obtaining the COD for our Coya Solar Plant closes the first stage of our transformation plan, with solar and wind plants that already add around 800 MW of renewable energy to the system”, said Rosaline Corinthien, CEO of ENGIE Chile. “Now begins a second stage that consists of adding new technologies to the development of projects, such as storage systems”.
