Engie Chile seeks permit to modify 300-MW solar project, add storage

Engie Energia Chile SA, part of French electric utility group Engie SA (EPA:ENGI), is seeking an environmental permit to modify its already approved 300-MW solar PV project by reducing the number of panels and adding battery storage.

Engie’s Chilean branch first secured the permit for the project, named Pampa Camarones, in 2014, and proceeded to build a 6.24-MWp solar plant as part of the first phase. The site is located in Chile’s northernmost region Arica y Parinacota.

In the fresh application, Engie Chile said it wants to keep the first solar farm and squeeze in extra 300 MW worth of solar panels within the permitted territory.

In its 2014 permit, the company was allowed to install some 1.2 million modules, each of around 300 Wp. The modified design incorporates a little over 547,500 modules of around 655 Wp, which will enable the second plant to reach 359 MWp in direct current (DC), or about 300 MW in alternating current (AC), Engie said in the filing for the new permit.

The Pampa Camarones II project would be constructed in two stages, with each adding 150 MW of solar power and 90 MW of battery storage. Engie Chile also plans to modify the route of one of three transmission lines it was allowed to install in 2014.

The modification will require Engie to put up an investment of USD 210 million (EUR 180.3m) in the project, according to the filing.

(USD 1.0 = EUR 0.858)

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