We cover Google’s electricity consumption in Chile from the power of the sun in the Atacama desert
ACCIONA Energía covers all the electricity consumption of Google’s facilities in Chile with energy generated in its El Romero Solar photovoltaic plant under a long-term supply contract signed by the two companies. In this way, the company contributes to Google’s aim of powering all its global operations with 100% renewable energy in 2017.
These supplies, which started in 2017, will continue until 2030, with the possibility of a further five years’ extension at the client’s discretion. The contract covers the supply of up to 80 MW of electricity per year through Chile’s Central Interconnected System (SIC), the country’s main power grid. Google’s plant and its Data Center in Quilcura are connected to the SIC, one of 13 facilities of the company worldwide and the only one located in the southern hemisphere.
El Romero Solar, located in the Atacama Desert in Vallenar (around 645 kilometres north of Santiago) began its gradual entry into service in November 2016 after a 13-month construction period. With a maximum capacity of 246 MWp (nominal capacity 196 MW), the plant consists of 766,000 photovoltaic modules with a solar catchment capacity of over 1.5 million square metres (equivalent to 211 soccer pitches).
KEY FACTORS
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01ACCIONA Energía provides Google with 80 MW from the El Romero Solar plant to cover all the company’s electricity consumption in Chile.
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02The contract period runs from 2017 to 2030 and contributes to Google’s objective of covering all its operations worldwide with renewable energy.