Enel Green Power's largest wind farm in Chile enters service

Enel Green Power has connected to the grid “Taltal”, its largest wind farm in Chile, following completion of construction.

Located in the Taltal district of the region of Antofagasta, the wind farm is composed of thirty-three 3 MW wind turbines, for a total installed capacity of 99 MW.

The wind farm is capable of generating up to around 300 GWh per year, equal to the energy needs of around 170 thousand Chilean households, thereby avoiding the atmospheric emission of over 200 thousand tonnes of CO2.

Construction involved a total investment of around 190 million US dollars.

The project is supported by a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA). The electricity generated will be delivered to Chile’s Central Region Transmission Network (SIC).

The public-land-use concession for the development of the wind farm was awarded to Enel Green Power in 2012 through the first Chilean public tender, organized jointly by the Ministry of National Assets and the Ministry of Energy. The aim of the tender was to foster the diversification of the Chilean energy mix, promoting the development of renewable energy to reduce carbon emissions and foreign energy dependency, as well as enhancing the power supply to support the country’s development.

In Chile, Enel Green Power operates the Talinay Oriente and Valle de los Vientos wind farms (90 MW of installed capacity each) and is currently completing construction on the Talinay Poniente wind farm (61 MW) and three solar power plants (Diego de Almagro - 36 MW, Lalackama - 60 MW and Chañares - 40 MW). The Company also operates in the geothermal power sector and is exploring a number of geothermal concessions with a potential installed capacity of more than 100 MW.