Wind energy in Chile: Enel Green Power inaugurates wind farm with 33 wind turbines of 3 MW

The Taltal wind farm has an installed capacity of 99 MW and can generate up to around 300 GWh each year. Construction involved a total investment of around 190 million US dollars.

 

Enel Green Power has connected to the grid “Taltal”, its largest wind farm in Chile, following completion of construction.

Located in the Taltal district of the region of Antofagasta, the wind farm is composed of thirty-three 3 MW wind turbines, for a total installed capacity of 99 MW.

The wind farm is capable of generating up to around 300 GWh per year, equal to the energy needs of around 170 thousand Chilean households, thereby avoiding the atmospheric emission of over 200 thousand tonnes of CO2.

Construction involved a total investment of around 190 million US dollars.

The project is supported by a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA). The electricity generated will be delivered to Chile’s Central Region Transmission Network (SIC).

The public-land-use concession for the development of the wind farm was awarded to Enel Green Power in 2012 through the first Chilean public tender, organized jointly by the Ministry of National Assets and the Ministry of Energy. The aim of the tender was to foster the diversification of the Chilean energy mix, promoting the development of renewable energy to reduce carbon emissions and foreign energy dependency, as well as enhancing the power supply to support the country’s development.

In Chile, Enel Green Power operates the Talinay Oriente and Valle de los Vientos wind farms (90 MW of installed capacity each) and is currently completing construction on the Talinay Poniente wind farm (61 MW) and three solar power plants (Diego de Almagro – 36 MW, Lalackama – 60 MW and Chañares – 40 MW). The Company also operates in the geothermal power sector and is exploring a number of geothermal concessions with a potential installed capacity of more than 100 MW.

Enel Green Power is the Enel Group company fully dedicated to the development and management of renewable energy sources at the international level, with operations in Europe, the Americas and Africa. The company generated over 29 billion kWh in 2013 from water, sun, wind and the Earth’s heat – enough to meet the energy needs of more than 10 million households and avoid the emission of approximately 16 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. Enel Green Power is a world leader in the sector thanks to its well-balanced generation mix, providing generation volumes well over the sector average. As of September 30th, 2014, the company has an installed capacity of approximately 9,500 MW from a mix of sources including wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal and biomass. The company has about 750 plants operating in 18 countries in Europe, the Americas and Africa.