France’s Neoen SA (EPA:NEOEN) on Wednesday commenced commercial operation of the 140-MW Capella Solar photovoltaic (PV) park in El Salvador, meeting the contractual deadline set for April 1, the company’s local unit announced on Twitter.
The sprawling facility, located in the department of Usulutan, is made up of two solar plants — Albireo I and II. Albireo Power Reserve, a lithium-ion battery with 3.3 MW/2.2 MWh of capacity that was also part of the part of the Capella Solar project, was commissioned in late February 2020.
The Albireo solar parks will operate under 20-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) with local power distribution firms Delsur, AES, EDESAL and B&D. Electricity will be sold at a price of USD 49.55 (EUR 45.36) per MWh.
The French independent power producer (IPP) has been present in El Salvador since 2014. That year, Neoen was awarded a contract to build and operate the 76-MW Providencia Solar project in the department of La Paz. A PV plant of 25 MW was negotiated with Delsur and later added to Providencia Solar.
Providencia Solar started injecting power to the national grid in April 2017.
Neoen El Salvador said back in February that, once Capella Solar goes live, the company will reach 7% market share in the country’s wholesale electricity market.
(USD 1.0 = EUR 0.92)
