Totoral

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Totoral is SN Power`s first wind farm and one of the largest operating wind farms in Chile. It is also the first renewable energy project financed under a new Chilean law.

The project

The Totoral wind farm, situated 300 kilometers north of Santiago, consists of 23 two-megawatt Vestas wind turbines. The 45 MW project will support Chile’s objectives of promoting clean energy and diversifying its energy mix with a variety of renewable energy technologies.

The wind farm constitutes a total investment of 140 MUSD making it Chile’s first-ever project-financed wind farm. It will also be the first-ever renewable energy project to be financed under Chile’s "Non-Conventional Renewable Energy Law" which was passed in March 2008. IFC’s financing monetizes the expected carbon revenues from the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism as Totoral will cut back 65,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year.

Construction

Erection of the 23 wind turbines, each with rotors 80 m in diameter and a hub height of approximately 100 m, took place in July 2009. The wind farm was opened in December 2009. 

Production

The project generates an average of 109 GWh/p.a. of electricity for the Chilean central grid, relieving the significant supply constraints the country is experiencing. By increasing renewable energy generation, the Totoral wind farm helps to reduce environmental pollution, improving the quality of life in the country.

Sustainable development

Totoral will generate enough electricity a year to fulfill the needs of some 55,000 Chilean households.

Totoral has been approved and registered to generate carbon credits under the UN`s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Through generation of renewable energy, Totoral will replace some of Chile`s thermal power production and the UN confirms the project will reduce global CO2 emissions by an estimated 71 000 tonnes annually. The CDM approval and registration was a decisive factor for the realisation of the project.