The $250m plant, which is located 37km from Copiapo in the Atacama Desert, features over 310,000 PV modules that have been installed across the 250 acres site.
SunEdison developed, built and interconnected the plant under an offtake agreement with Chilean iron and steel firm CAP Group.
SunEdison said all of the energy from the Amanecer plant will be injected into the Central Interconnected System, which reduces the net cost of grid electricity.
About 270GWh will be injected into the system in the facility’s first year of operation which will be enough to power about 125,000 homes in the region.
CAP Group president Roberto de Andraca B said the plant will meet 15% of the company’s energy demand.
"Our strategic alliance with SunEdison asserts CAP’s commitment to sustainability and reaffirms the company’s support of the renewable energy goals laid out by the authorities," de Andraca B added.
SunEdison president and CEO Ahmad Chatila said the project has changed the course of renewable energy development not only in Chile and Latin America, but across the world.
"Amanecer Solar CAP has become a benchmark for SunEdison in how to develop photovoltaic solar energy on an international level," Chatila added.
Image: The Amanecer Solar CAP plant features over 310,000 PV modulesPhoto: Courtesy of PRNewsFoto/SunEdison, Inc.
