Chile watch: Mini-hydro, solar project updates

Chile-based special purpose company Hidroeléctrica Cumpeo expects 6MW mini-hydropower plant Cumpeo to become operational in September.

Project manager Jonathan Bensted said in a statement that Cumpeo secured project financing in December 2015 from local bank BCI, and that the US$15mn plant – in the town of Molina, Maule region (VII) – will generate 32-40GWh/y.

Construction has passed the 60% completion mark, Bensted said.

Chile boasted 433MW of mini-hydro plants, defined as having a capacity under 20MW, in operation as of end-February, according to the latest monthly report from state renewable energies center Cifes. The report cited another 25MW under construction, and 455MW with environmental approval secured.

The BNamericas project profiles database lists 17 early-stage hydropower projects with individual investment totals under US$100mn. Click here to see them.

NEW RENEWABLE PROJECTS

Also from Chile, environmental authority SEA received an environmental impact assessment for an US$11.6mn, 9MW solar photovoltaic plant.

Local firm El Castaño plans to install the eponymous project in the town of Peumo, O'Higgins region (VI).

SEA last week received an environmental impact assessment for the US$107mn, 80MW Qanqiña solar PV farm in northern Tarapacá region (I) and the US$2.7bn Tamarugal CSP solar project.

The Qanqiña and Tamarugal projects were submitted by firms Qanqiña and SolarReserve, respectively.

Earlier this month, Spain's Grenergy Renovables submitted an environmental impact study for the US$32mn, 20MW Alhué solar PV farm planned for Chile's Santiago Metropolitan region.

SEA admitted a total of 19 non-conventional renewable energy projects into the evaluation process in February, according to the Cifes report.

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