How does Chile benefit from solar energy?

The country benefits from consistently strong winds in mountainous region of Patagonia and some of the world’s highest levels of solar radiation in the Atacama Desert. This predictable supply of wind and solar energy has led the Chilean government to estimate that 13% of the world’s green hydrogen will be produced within its borders.

Is there an alternative to solar energy in Chile?

Chile has begun to explore an alternative. Both Cerro Dominador and the Alba Project are powered by so-called solar salts, extracted from the Atacama Desert, composed of potassium nitrate and sodium nitrate. When melted and kept in a liquid state, they allow energy to be stored.

Does Chile have a solar thermal tower?

Chile’s Atacama desert is home to the only solar thermal tower in Latin America. The imposing 240-meter construction is one of the pillars of the country’s ambitious green energy program that began in 2019 and aims to completely replace fossil fuels by 2040.

Will Chile replace coal plants with solar thermal plants?

As coal plants are eliminated, Chile intends to replace them with solar thermal plants or convert them into batteries like the Alba Project. The solar thermal tower Cerro Dominador has become a symbol of Chile’s energy revolution against climate change.

How much of Chile's energy will come from Sun and wind?

"A decade ago, no one would have imagined that more than a third of Chile's energy would come from the sun and wind before 2030," the former Environment Minister of Chile Marcelo Mena says. “It was seen as something ambitious and it has already been surpassed.”

How much energy does Chile produce?

“It was seen as something ambitious and it has already been surpassed.” Today 35.4 per cent of the energy generated in Chile is wind and solar, and 37.2 per cent comes from water sources in the National Electric System (SEN), which covers the vast majority of demand. Oil, coal and gas represent 26.9 per cent.