Solventus - Renewable Energy

Chacalluta Airport, located in the northern sector of the city of Arica, became this week the first self-sustaining public complex in the country, after a modern photovoltaic plant injecting 30 Kw/h started to operate.

The initiative was reached by Tarapacá University (UTA), which applied for an Innovation Fund for Competitiveness (FIC) in June last year. Since then, all required steps were made, what led the University in the award of 180 million pesos investment. The University School of Electronics Electrical Engineering of the UTA was responsible for implementing the project, which also needed the support of the Spanish company Solventus, winner of a bidding process with its proposal and expertise in that matter.

One of the most remarkable features of the system is the ability to follow the movement of the sun automatically, using an astronomical software that locates the exact position of the star 365 days a year.

The plant is not yet officially opened, but it is already supplying power to the distribution network of the Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil (DGCA) (General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics).

"At certain times of day the plant will supply nearly 60% of the power required by the DGCA. That means we have a green airport and its carbon footprint is much lower than in other buildings", said the engineer in charge of the UTA, Alejandro Rodriguez.

The Energy seremi in the macro Zona Norte (North Area), Carlos Arenas said that “Arica and Parinacota has huge potential, not only in solar but also geothermal and wind energy. We hope to perform new projects soon”. Mayor Jose Duran underlined that with a solar radiation reaching the 3,000 kWh/m2/year, Arica aspires to become the renewable energy capital of Chile.

“This quality should be added to the availability of flat land with plains for the installation of solar parks. Those lands are located between Pampa Cruces and Puente El Águila” he concluded.