On 8 July 2024, Chile’s largest solar power plant, CEME 1, was inaugurated in an activity led by national authorities and in which participated key stakeholders of the energy sector. CEME 1 is a 480 MW solar plant which was built and will be operated by Generadora Metropolitana, a joint venture between EDF and the Chilean company AME.
Located seven kilometers away from Maria Elena, a town in the middle of the Atacama Desert, CEME 1 has 882,000 high-tech solar panels that cover an area of 435 hectares and will produce enough energy to supply 500,000 households while avoiding the emission of 280,000 tons of CO2 per year.
CEME 1 has several innovative features that make it more efficient and sustainable. These include a design (a fixed structure with modules oriented to the east and west) that maximizes the solar energy capture throughout the day, and the robotization of the panel cleaning process, which will reduce water consumption up to 90%.
Generadora Metropolitana is also working on a 1,200 MWh batteries project to store the energy produced, increasing the plant’s efficiency and providing a more constant and reliable supply of renewable energy to the Chilean energy system.
Béatrice Buffon, EDF Group Senior Executive Vice-President in charge of the International Division and Chairman of EDF Renewables, said “EDF is proud to contribute to Chile’s energy transition with this landmark solar plant which is a key asset of the hybrid thermal and renewable platform we are developing in the country. The inauguration of CEME 1 is a milestone not only for Chile, but also for EDF due to its size and the innovations implemented in its construction. With this project we strengthen the Group’s position in Chile as we continue our path towards a carbon-neutral and sustainable future”.
Chile is a country where the Group is already well established, particularly in the renewable sector with an installed capacity of 770 MW.