Power provider Colbún has applied for environmental approval to build the 788 MW Planta Fotovoltaica Inti Pacha project in Chile.
According to a document published by Chile’s environmental evaluation service (SEA), the proposed project would be built in the municipality of María Elena, Tocopilla province, in the Antofagasta region of northern Chile.
The power plant would be built in three different units – Inti Pacha 1 (IP1), Inti Pacha 2 (IP2) and Inti Pacha 3 (IP3). The planned investment for the project has been estimated at $788 million.
Colbún is one of four electricity producers that make up the Chilean Generators Association, together with Engie, Enel and AES Gener. At the end of January 2018, the companies agreed not to build more coal plants and gradually close existing ones.
Chile had 2.76 GW of cumulative PV capacity by the end of January. The country also has 4.25 GW of renewable energy projects under construction, of which around 55% are for solar projects.
