A photovoltaic park with a nominal generation power of 9 MW is intended to be developed by the company Sol del Sur SG SpA (linked to the Spanish company Solarig), on Route 5, in the commune of Chillán Viejo, a site that will also have two energy storage centers (BESS), thus becoming the third solar project in the region that includes this technology.

On January 18, the firm submitted the respective environmental impact declaration (DIA) of the Sol del Sur SG Photovoltaic Park to the Environmental Evaluation Service (SEA) of Ñuble, which was declared admissible yesterday, a document that details that the initiative It will be located on an area of ​​20 hectares – of which 16 will be occupied by the panels – at kilometer 408 of Route 5.

The project includes the installation of 34,850 photovoltaic solar panels, with an individual power of 660 Wp in 1,245 followers, 2 power stations, 2 storage areas, 2 warehouses, a control room and an electrical evacuation line that will have an extension of 448 meters and that will allow energy to be injected into the National Electrical System.

According to the DIA, the works are expected to begin in October 2025 and last six months, during which an average workforce of 60 workers will be required, with a peak of 68.

It is estimated that the execution will require an investment of US$15 million.

Regarding its location, the owner stressed that “it has an ideal space for photovoltaic projects, due to the existing solar resource in the area, also complementing that the land has not been used for years.” It is also worth mentioning the advantage that the proximity of the electrical network represents.

“Megabatteries”

The photovoltaic park will have two electrochemical storage systems and, as indicated, their objective is to store the differential energy produced by the plant, allowing the project to shift its generation curve by providing energy to the electrical system even at night.

The main part, and the largest volume inside the containers, corresponds to the lithium-ion batteries. “These have lithium metal oxide cathodes and graphite anodes immersed in lithium salt solutions. It is in these devices where the reactions occur that allow electrical energy to be converted into chemical energy and vice versa,” describes the DIA.

Currently, Ñuble has 30 solar parks in operation, which represent 132.9 MW of gross power (51% of the regional installed capacity); another four under construction, and there are more than a dozen projects approved or under environmental evaluation, including the FV Aldea and FV Ñuble parks, which in addition to Sol del Sur, are the only ones that consider energy storage centers, something unthinkable years ago. back, but now it is feasible, because since November 2022 Law No. 21,505 has been in force, which promotes the storage of electrical energy and electromobility, which allowed it to be given legal recognition.