Renewable

August 25 (Renewables Now) - Five international companies have been pre-qualified to participate in the selection process for the construction and operation of the Conolophus solar-plus-storage project in Ecuador, the ministry of energy and non-renewable natural resources recently announced.

The ministry named Canadian Solar Conolophus, Gransolar-Total Eren, Voltalia SA (EPA:VLTSA), Woojin Industrial Systems and Scatec Solar-Energy Flex as companies or consortia cleared to participate in the next round.

The tender will award a 25-year concession to build and operate a 14.8-MWp solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant and a battery storage system of 40.9 MWh on Baltra Island of the Galapagos Archipelago. The ministry expects the project to bring a capital investment of around USD 45 million (EUR 38m).

According to the ministry’s brochure, the project will be developed on an old airstrip. Once in operation, the Conolophus plant will deliver power to the sub-transmission system that connects Baltra and the neighouring Santa Cruz Island.

The government expects that the new facilities will help Santa Cruz reach a 70% share of renewables to meet the island’s demand for 2023.

(USD 1.0 = EUR 0.845)