1272 – Wind energy Ovalle, Chile
Promoting clean wind energy in Chile
The municipality of Ovalle is located about three hundred kilometres north of the capital Santiago de Chile, in the Chilean region of Coquimbo. Here, two wind farms called “El Pacifico” and “La Cebada” with a total of 57 wind turbines and an installed capacity of 109.6 MW supply electricity from renewable energy sources. The wind turbines began operating in July 2014 and now generate an average of 290 GWh of clean electricity per year, which is fed into the central electricity grid (SIC).
As a result, the two wind farms make a valuable contribution to climate action: since this amount of electricity would have otherwise been produced with the help of fossil fuels, the climate project saves around 197,420 tonnes of CO2 per year – and contributes to the energy transition in Chile by expanding the renewable energy sector. In addition, it also promotes sustainable development in the region by creating long-term jobs in Ovalle.