Pattern Energy Starts Operations at Chile's El Arrayan Windfarm

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources Latin America (Cordoba, Argentina)--Pattern Energy Group LP (San Francisco, California) has begun commercial operations at the 115-megawatt (MW) El Arrayan windfarm in Chile.

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Located in the coastal area of Ovalle Commune, in the Coquimbo region, the largest power complex of its kind in Chile has 50 SWT-2.3-101 tubular steel towers, each 290 feet tall and fitted with a 2.3-MW wind turbine generator set manufactured by Siemens AG (NYSE:SI) (Munich, Germany). The facility finished its test period in May and began commercial operations in early June. Pattern Energy Group LP operates the windfarm.

The construction of the El Arrayan complex began in June 2012 and was completed after two years and an investment of $278 million. Siemens AG provided the turbines, and Skanska Chile S.A. (Santiago, Chile) won the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the project.

The project is a joint venture. In June, Pattern Energy announced it had bought AEI El Arrayán Chile SpA's 38.5% share for $45.25 million and assumed AEI's project debt (estimated to be $87 million in May), so that Pattern now owns 70% of the project. Antofagasta Minerals S.A. owns the remaining 30%. Antofagasta Minerals will use much of the energy produced by the wind complex for its Los Pelambres mine, and the rest of the energy will go to the local grid.

Chile has 10 operational windfarms with a total capacity of 530 MW. The most significant ones are the Canela windfarm with a capacity of 97.15 MW; the Talinay Oriente windfarm (90 MW); the Valle de los Vientos windfarm (90 MW); and the Coquimbo Totoral windfarm (46 MW).

Chile has made substantial investments to advance wind-generated power. Among the most significant projects are the Sarco (240 MW), the Ckani (195 MW), the Aurora (192 MW) and the Ancud (120 MW) windfarms.

Two projects, the 36-MW San Pedro and 66-MW Punta Palmeras windfarms, are scheduled to be completed by July and December this year. The 99-MW Taltal windfarm will be completed by the beginning 2015 and the 170-MW Cabo Leones project by first quarter of 2016.

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