Prodiel will build a 244 MWp facility in Chile for Atlas Renewable Energy

The Sol del Desierto plant, with a capacity of 244 MW, will be located in the north of the country and will be the largest capacity project the company has executed in Chile to date.

The multinational Atlas Renewable Energy has chosen Prodiel to execute the Sol del Desierto photovoltaic plant using the EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) format. The facility, with an installed capacity of 244 MW, will be sited in the Antofagasta region, in the Atacama Desert.

In addition to the construction of the plant, the contract’s scope includes a 220/33kV step up substation, expanding the 220 kV Maniobra Substation and a 1.7-km high-voltage power line to transfer the electricity generated to the grid.

Sol del Desierto will comprise more than 580,000 photovoltaic modules which will cover an area measuring 445 hectares. Once commissioned, it will produce 724 GW of power per hour per year, equivalent to the energy use of over 228,000 Chilean homes. This project will prevent the emission of 120,000 tonnes of CO₂ a year.

Work began on the project at the beginning of the year and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2021, when the plant is due to begin operating. Over the course of construction, up to 375 jobs will be created, which will have a direct impact on the communities close to the site.

This project consolidates Prodiel’s leading position in photovoltaic facilities in Chile, with the capacity of its construction projects in the country amounting to 948 MW.