In Chile, the Los Durmientes Project — 243.6 MW of Solar and 255.4 MW of BESS — Receives Environmental Approval

Imagen: Gestión Ambiental Consultores

RWE’s Los Durmientes solar project, located in the Antofagasta region, has received unanimous approval from the Environmental Evaluation Commission of Antofagasta for its Environmental Impact Declaration (DIA), allowing the project to move forward after initiating the process in January 2024.

The Environmental Evaluation Commission approved Los Durmientes, RWE’s first project in Chile. The plan includes an installed capacity of 243.6 MWac and an energy storage system (BESS) with a nominal output of 255.4 MW and a storage duration of five hours. The project will be located in the commune of Antofagasta, approximately 180 kilometers from the city, on 374.46 hectares of public land granted through a public tender in 2022 by the Ministry of National Assets under a Concession of Costly Use (CUO).

The solar park will connect to the Monte Mina substation via a 220 kV transmission line approximately 30 kilometers in length. The construction phase is expected to create up to 550 direct jobs at its peak, with construction targeted for 2026 and commissioning projected for 2027.

The estimated investment for the project is USD $300 million. The inclusion of the BESS will contribute to the stability and flexibility of the electricity supply by providing five hours of energy storage.

This project is part of RWE’s broader activity in Chile, which includes additional solar and wind initiatives across various regions. The company is currently evaluating another project — the Pita Solar Park, located in the Tarapacá Region — which would feature 184.9 MWac of photovoltaic capacity and 185 MW of storage, also with a five-hour duration.

The development of Los Durmientes follows the land concession granted in 2022 and the formal environmental assessment process launched in early 2024. While construction is currently expected to begin in 2026, its advancement will depend on technical, regulatory, and financial conditions defined in the coming years.

The project will install 467,152 photovoltaic modules of 550 Wp each, optimized to maximize solar capture in the Atacama Desert. The connection to the grid via the Monte Mina substation ensures reliable transmission of the generated energy through high-voltage infrastructure.