DILUS contributes to the launch of the first solar thermal plant in Latin America
On June 8, the first solar thermal plant in Latin America, Cerro Dominador, began the official delivery of energy to the Chilean electricity system. Located in the Chilean town of Maria Elena, the plant has a capacity of 110 MW Thermosolar (210MW total with PV) and can generate clean energy in a manageable way during 24 hours.
DILUS is proud to announce our contribution to this project. Our team has been in charge of the design and integration of an integral meteorological solution, providing its know-how with the development of five meteorological stations to provide information on radiation and environment, meeting the strict requirements of plants of these characteristics.
Solar and meteorological resource measurement systems are essential in the operation of this type of technology, as they allow the correct orientation of the heliostats, as well as the forecasting of potentially compromising environmental situations for them. For this, the choice of sensors of the highest quality, performance and durability is essential, so DILUS has relied on partners such as Kipp & Zonen, or Lufft that offer the necessary reliability to give maximum performance in the extreme conditions of the plant.
The commune of María Elena, Antofagasta region, is located in the middle of the Atacama Desert, one of the areas of the planet that receives the most solar radiation. Together with the thermosolar plant, Cerro Dominador already had a 100 MW photovoltaic plant, forming a renewable energy complex that annually avoids 630,000 tons of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.
These are some of the most outstanding features of the project:
- 17.5-hour storage capacity
- 700 hectares
- 600 heliostats that direct radiation to a receiver at a height of 252 meters.
- Will avoid the emission of 400,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere per year.
The Cerro Dominador solar thermal plant is an important step for the renewable energy sector in Latin America, in which DILUS has been able to contribute its grain of sand to make it a success story.