Cerro Pabellón awarded renewable project of the year in Cirec Week
Harsh environment near Cerro Pabellón project site, Chile (source: Ormat)
Francisco Rojas
30 Oct 2015
During CIREC WEEK, a the leading renewable energy event in Chile, a panel has given the "Renewable Energy Project of the Year " award to the Cerro Pabellón geothermal project.
Local news sources from Chile state that in the framework of the “Congreso Internacional de Energías Renovables Cirec Week 2015” that was held last Tuesday in Chile, the “Cirec Awards”, which seek to reward the most outstanding initiatives of the year in clean generation, a panel of independent experts awarded the coveted “Renewable Energy Project of the Year ” award to the Cerro Pabellón geothermal project, first of its kind in South America, which is developed by Geotérmica del Norte, a company controlled by Enel Green Power and by the National Petroleum Corporation Company of Chile (Enap) which holds 49% of the reminding stock.
The plant will be located in the commune of Ollagüe, in the region of Antofagasta in northern Chile, with an investment of USD 320 million for a total gross installed capacity of 48 MW, and is expected to to produce about 340 GWh per year.
“This project is more than an adventure, because we are working at 4,500 meters in altitude. It is a project that allows to use the heat of the earth without any water input; which is ideal in a desert area such as the Atacama Desert,”said Guido Cappetti, general manager of Geotérmica del Norte.
“It could be the start of a new era for this new technology in a country with great potential” he said.
Source: Portal Minero
