Status Project approved Type CSP Units operational 4 | Commission date Dec 2012 | |
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María Elena Solar Power Plant (Spanish: Planta Termosolar María Elena) is a concentrated solar power plant with a molten salt heat storage#Molten salt technology system that is currently under construction in the commune of María Elena in the Antofagasta Region of Chile.
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María Elena
The María Elena plant will see the construction and operation of a 400 MW thermo-solar complex in the northern Chilean region of Antofagasta. Thermo solar technology, which employs a heliostat receiver system, has proven to be up to five times more cost effective than standard photovoltaic solar panels.
Details
The María Elena complex will be made up of four separate 100 MW plants, and will supply the northern SING (Sistema Interconectado del Norte Gande) grid via a 17.5 km, 220 kV double circuit transmission line connected to the Encuentro substation. The $3.6 billion thermo solar plant will be the largest plant of its kind in the world. The project is being developed by Ibereólica Solar Atacama, a subsidiary of Madrid-based Grupo Ibereólica. It will employ 1,500 workers during the construction stage and 200 as permanent staff when in operation. Construction will take 27 months so the plant will be operational in July 2016 at the earliest.