Generadora Metropolitana, a Chilean energy developer jointly owned by French utility EDF and Chilean independent power producer AME, has initiated the energization process for a 480MW solar PV plant located in Chile.

According to Diego Hollweck, the general manager at Generadora Metropolitana, the CEME1 project, situated in the region of Antofagasta, renowned for its exceptionally high irradiation levels, will become Chile’s largest solar PV plant once it becomes operational.

The company’s objective is to inaugurate the plant and complete the interconnection process within the first half of this year. The project site has been equipped with approximately 900,000 solar panels, although the specific technology utilized by the company has not been disclosed. The panels are installed on a fixed structure that faces east-west.

Furthermore, the company stated that the plant will significantly reduce its water consumption by 80% compared to other projects in terms of operations and maintenance. This reduction is attributed to the implementation of robots and dry cleaning techniques for the solar panels.

Although CEME1, with its capacity of 480MW, is the largest solar PV plant in Chile, it is not Generadora Metropolitana’s largest solar PV project in the country. The company is also developing an 800MW solar-plus-storage project in the region of Antofagasta. This project received environmental approval in November 2022 and will necessitate an investment of US$480 million for its construction.