Spanish solar developer Solarpack has commenced construction on two PV plants with a combined capacity of 25MW for Chilean mining company Compañía Minera Doña Inés de Collahuasi.

Both plants are located in Pozo Almonte, Tarapacá, in northern Chile. One will have a capacity of 9MW while the other will have a 16MW capacity. Solarpack will construct, develop and manage both facilities.

The 9MW plant, called Pozo Almonte Solar I, will require an investment of US$40 million and be equipped with 133,056 solar panels. When complete, the facility will connect to the Northern Interconnected System grid.

The 16MW plant, called Pozo Almonte Solar III, will require an investment of US$71 million and be equipped with 236,544 solar panels. The facility will also be grid-connected to the Northern Interconnected System.

Together, the plants are expected to generate a combined output of 60,000MWh a year.

Solarpack has a pipeline of more than 120 MW in Chile, of which 20 MW is fully developed. This pipeline also includes a third solar project in the same location called Pozo Almonte Solar II which will have a capacity of 7.5MW.