In the middle of the Puna, the largest solar power plant in South America advance

Ámbito.com visited the complex of parks I, II and III, which will generate 300 megawatts of electricity to power about 120,000 homes. These solar fields, each composed by 512 chains of 18 photovoltaic moduleswill also prevent them from traveling in the atmosphere 330,000 tons of CO2 per year. An expansion is currently underway to bring production to 500 MW, able to respond to the demand for 250,000 homes.

But, both before and now, it will depend on China's approval. It was the Eximbank, one of the windows through which the Asian giant powers its external policies, which allowed 330 million USD fund the project that the province must report with an annual interest of 3% to 15 years old And it's the same bank that meditates to shell out others 200 million USD for the second section. "They will approve it ", trusted a source for this media.

The road to Cauchari is long and demanding and requires a climb calculated through the arid landscape of the Puna. At 4,000 meters altitude, the sun's rays fall with such fury that it takes photovoltaic panels 20% extra special protection against ultraviolet rays than anywhere else. At night, everything changes: the cold freezes the cables and temperatures reach 25 ° below zero. But the severity of the climate does not matter when there are two decisive elements: 600 hectares of flat land and the proximity of a medium voltage line that will inject energy into the interconnected national system.

The forced solar giant open 57 kilometers of a new parallel road and almost the same extension of interior roads to distribute materials, adapt river beds to withstand the rains of summer and set up their own customs service to speed up the arrival of materials from the port of Zárate and Chile.

Crossing the perimeter fence, the red flag with yellow stars flames next to the Argentine flag. Inside, in the camp, some 600 local workers They move in the mountainous landscape in the midst of strict security measures. The integration of the inhabitants of Susques, Puesto Sey, Olaroz and other neighboring localities was one of the demands of the community leaders. During the last phase of the project, the workers will be around 1200but once the parks begin to function, they can be maintained with less than a hundred. The long-term plan is to maintain local occupation with cooperatives that provide basic services in Cauchari such as food, transportation and security. In addition to the jackpot: 2% of the final profits attributed by the sale of energy.

The stage of civil works to condition the ground and lay the foundations of solar structures is almost complete, but it remains to locate a good part of the badembly of the supports and 50% of the laying of the cables. At the same time, the transmission booths must be completed. The final step will be to bademble 90% of the panels that are still waiting in the boxes, engineers preferred to preserve them from premature degradation. So yes, the final phase and start will start, which is planned the temporary window that goes from August to December.

Official calculations are excited that the contract signed with CAMMESAby which the Wholesale market administrator of electricity commits to purchase the energy produced over the next two decades and leaves direct benefits to the province $ 1,000 million a year.

But the look goes further, as China badyzes different projects to expand its presence in Argentina. Successful management, they say, will eventually open the appetite of the president's investors Xi Jinpingwho aspires to make your country one of the world's most powerful renewable energy actors.