MEXICO | Aguascalientes | 350 MW | Commissioned

In Mexico, Alten Energías Renovables has one of Latin America’s biggest photovoltaic power plants. Located in the municipality of El Llano, in the state of Aguascalientes, it consists of two installations Solem I (180 MWp) and Solem II (168 MWp), both of which are up and running, with a joint investment of approximately US$350 million.

The plants occupy a surface area of more than 1,035 Ha. sharing the interconnecting infrastructure along a 230 kV evacuation line.

The installations were commissioned during the last quarter of 2018 and contain over a million latest-generation photovoltaic panels, each unit with 330 Wp, fitted onto horizontal single-axis trackers.

Grupo Ortiz managed the construction, finishing the work in 14 months. During this period the average local payroll was over 600 workers, with those numbers rising to 1,500 during working peaks.

The dual plants generate around 800 GWh/year of clean energy between them, equivalent to the electricity needs of a town with more than 400,000 inhabitants, avoiding 362,000 metric tonnes of carbon emissions a year. Both Solem I and Solem II have energy purchase contracts, with clean energy and power certificates, that were signed with CFE Basic Supply as part of Mexico’s second Long-Term Electricity Tender in September 2016.

The financing for both plants came from Alten Energías Renovables’ own funds, Sojitz Corporation and Cubico Sustainable Investments, with co-financing from the Mexican development banks Bancomext and Banobras, from the multilaterals Corporación Interamericana de Inversiones (IIC), a member of the Interamerican Development Bank, and IFC, a member of the World Bank Group; and from the retail Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ.

The financing for this plant earned international recognition in the sector, winning the Latin American Solar Deal of the Year, awarded by the prestigious journal IJ Global, at the XV edition of these awards, held in New York in March 2018.

The project is managed by Alten Energías Renovables.

Solem I

• Peak power: 180 MWp
• Country: Mexico
• State: Aguascalientes
• Municipality (Province): El Llano
• Annual production: 446,956 MWh/year
• Technology: Gonvarri 3H tracker, 60 modules / tracker, 1 axis tracking E-O, monofila
• Modules: Solar Trina, Polycrystalline Module 72 cells, 330 Wp, 1,500 Vdc
• Inverter: Power Electronics 3128 kVA, 50 Power Stations
• MV transformers: 50 x 3,500 kVA, 630 VAC / 34,5 kV
• Distribution company: CFE
• Other data: HV transformer, 99/132/165 MVA, ONAN / ONAF1 / ONAF2, 230 kV / 34.5 kV

Solem II

• Peak power: 168 MWp
• Country: Mexico
• State: Aguascalientes
• Municipality (Province): El Llano
• Annual production: 416,786 MWh/year
• Technology: Gonvarri 3H tracker, 60 modules / tracker, 1 axis tracking E-O, monofila
• Modules: Jinko Solar 330 Wp, Polycrystalline Module 72 cells, 1,500 Vdc
• Inverter: Power Electronics 3128 kVA, 50 Power Stations
• MV transformers: 47 x 3,500 kVA, 630 VAC / 34,5 kV
• Distribution company: CFE
• Other data: HV transformer, 99/132/165 MVA, ONAN / ONAF1 / ONAF2, 230 kV / 34.5 kV