Statkraft to build 400MW wind and storage project in Chile

Statkraft plans to invest €430 million in a wind and energy storage hybrid project after winning a tender to use government land in Chile.

The project – the Norwegian utility’s first greenfield project in the South American country – will have installed capacity of at least 400MW, the company stated.

The Chilean government is trying to boost investment in wind energy by making government land in the wind-swept Atacama Desert available to investors.

Last month, Chilean power firm Colbún started construction of its 816MW Horizonte wind farm, which will be one of the largest in South America, on government lands, while in July, Engie announced plans to build 1.5GW of wind-solar hybrid projects after winning the previous tender.

Statkraft has won a 40-year concession for a plot covering 26.1km². Under the tender rules, the company must bring the project into commercial operation by 2030, although the company stated that it plans to begin producing electricity power at the site several years before this date.

The wind farm and battery facility will be located around 81km from the city of Taltal in the northern Antofagasta region and connect to Chile's national grid at the Parinas substation 15km away.

“We are working decisively on our growth strategy in Chile, to produce more clean energy that responds to the requirements of customers who are increasingly concerned about having sustainable processes,” said Statkraft Chile’s general manager Maria Teresa Gonzalez.

The company is developing another three wind farms totalling more than 100MW of capacity in the centre of the country and has operational and under-construction hydro facilities.