Green light for Chilean wind farm

The environmental regulator in Chile has approved the final stages of energy company E-CL's plans to develop a 310 MW wind farm – a three-park project that is expected to cost US$ 685 million.

The three wind parks are planned near the northern town of Calama. The regulator approved the first park, which will have an installed capacity of 108 MW, in January last year, while the second, 108 MW park was approved in January this year.

Now the green light for the final, 75 MW park – which will cost US$ 165 million to build – means the project can get underway. A 28.5 km transmission line is also planned to connect the wind farm to the grid.

E-CL is majority owned by French energy company GDF Suez.