Abengoa Awarded 950 GWh/Year in Chilean Supply Tender for 15 Years
19 December 2014 - 7:06AM
- The company will generate the power from a combination of
solar-thermal and photovoltaic plants.
- The award is part of a tender program by the Chilean Ministry
of Energy of up to 13,000 GWh per year.
Abengoa (MCE: ABG.B/P SM) (Nasdaq:ABGB), the international company
that applies innovative technology solutions for sustainability in
the energy and environment sectors, has been awarded 950 GWh/year
in the Distribution Companies Supply tender (Tender Process SIC
2013/03-2º Llamado) held by the National Energy Commission (CNE) of
the Chilean government.
Abengoa is currently constructing a solar platform in northern
Chile with two solar plants, Atacama 1 and Atacama 2. Each one
consists of 110 MW of solar-thermal capacity using a concentrating
solar tower structure with heat storage, and a 100 MW photovoltaic
plant. Abengoa's projects in Chile are distinguished by their
pioneering thermal storage system, designed and developed by the
company, which makes this technology highly manageable, enabling it
to supply electricity in a stable way during any demand period.
These new developments in the region would be included within
the scope of the ROFO agreement (Right of First Offer) that Abengoa
has signed with Abengoa Yield (Nasdaq:ABY), the sustainable total
return company that owns a diversified portfolio of contracted
assets in the energy and environment sectors.
Manuel Sánchez Ortega, CEO of Abengoa, pointed out that,
"Winning a power supply tender with solar-thermal and photovoltaic
plants, competing against conventional power generation, is an
important milestone that demonstrates the success of our technology
work to provide clean energy at competitive and predictable prices
over decades."
The tender forms part of the wider energy agenda being promoted
by the Chilean government, which sets out to increase the presence
of non-conventional renewable energy in the country, among other
aspects, while securing greater energy independence. Specifically,
the award forms part of a series of tenders in which a total of
13,000 GWh/year has been offered (between 35 and 37% of the
regulated power in Chile). Production has been divided into four
blocks, which would come online between 2016 and 2019 depending on
the block in question, and will have a duration of 15 years
each.
Abengoa will generate the awarded power from its solar plants
based on its SSP design (Smart Solar Plant), which combines
production from solar-thermal and photovoltaic plants with thermal
energy storage in an efficient and optimized way, ensuring that the
power is manageable, available and produced at a competitive cost,
24 hours a day.
These technical aspects have enabled the Spanish company to
participate in 19 sub-blocks in Block 4 of the tender, which will
begin to supply power on January 1, 2019 and will end on December
31, 2033.
One of the main requirements of this block is that the power
produced can be sustained 24 hours a day, without interruption.
"Abengoa intends to become a major player in the Chilean
generation market, providing clean and competitive power in terms
of price and characteristics, compared with traditional
generators," said Manuel Sánchez Ortega, CEO of Abengoa.
Abengoa has been present in Chile since 1987, where it has
carried out numerous projects for major mining, power and
communications companies and for the industrial sector in general.
The result of this government tender will further consolidate
Abengoa's technological commitment to solar thermal electric power
and innovation.
Abengoa currently has 1,503 MW of installed capacity in
commercial operation, 360 MW under construction and 210 MW in
development. It is the only company in the world to construct and
operate solar-thermal plants using both tower and parabolic trough
technologies.
About Abengoa
Abengoa (MCE: ABG.B/P SM) (Nasdaq:ABGB) applies innovative
technology solutions for sustainability in the energy and
environment sectors, generating electricity from renewable
resources, converting biomass into biofuels and producing drinking
water from sea water. (www.abengoa.com)
CONTACT: Communication Department:
Patricia Malo de Molina Melendez
Tel. +34 954 93 71 11
E-mail: communication@abengoa.com
Investor relations
Barbara Zubiria Furest
Tel. +34 954 937 111
E-mail: ir@abengoa.com