28 October 2021-Ambassador Ma. Teresita C. Daza together with spouse and Special Assistant Paula Rodriguez met with Mr. Ivan Abella site manager and Daniela Castillo, Regional and Community Coordinator of Cerro Dominador on 28 October 2021. They were briefed on the thermo-solar power project, part of Chile´s national energy program.

The Cerro Dominador in Santa Elena, Atacama is a combined solar power and photovoltaic plant. The Chilean government approved the project in 2013 and Abengoa Solar Chile, a branch of the multinational Abengoa, Spain started construction started in 2014. In April 2021 it was grid connected and on 08 June 2021, was inaugurated with President Piñera gracing the occasion. The plant´s technology uses a series of mirrors called heliostats, 10,600 in number with some 350,000 solar panels that track the sun on two axes, concentrating the solar radiation on a receiver on the upper part of the 252 meters high tower, where the heat is transferred to molten salts. The molten salts transfer their heat in a heat exchanger to water, generating superheated steam, which feeds a turbine that then transforms the kinetic energy.

The Cerro Dominador plant is capable of generating around 210 MW of power. The plant has an advance storage system enabling it to generate electricity for up to 17.5 hours without direct solar radiation, which allows it to provide a stable electricity supply without interruptions if required. Mr. Abella noted that part of the energy generated, transmitted/distributed, lights the comuna of Las, Condes, where the Embassy is located.END