Mainstream’s first solar farm in Latin America, Río Escondido, has been connected to its transmission network.
The first power flowed from a new substation on the northern Chile site, along transmission lines across the Atacama desert, to an interconnection bay at Cardones substation, 55.5km away.
The energization means that when Río Escondido is completed, the 145 MW AC generated by its 450,000 solar panels can be stepped up in voltage and injected into the country’s National Electricity System. It will provide enough energy to power 194,000 homes and displace approximately 185,000 tonnes of CO2 each year.
The transmission line linking the substations, built out by contractor Transelec, will also be used by Mainstream’s neighboring Valle Escondido Solar PV plant, which is currently under construction near the commune of Tierra Amarilla.
Río Escondido is one of four wind and solar projects that have been developed by Mainstream and are on course to enter commercial operations in 2021.
