97 MW Matarani plant begins operation in Peru – pv magazine International

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Acquired by Yinson Renewables earlier this year, the project is expected to reach an annual production capacity of 260 GWh.

September 30, 2024 Luis Ini Malaysia-based energy company Yinson Renewables has announced the entry into its full operational phase of the 97 MW Matarani solar plant, located in the department of Arequipa, after the start of energy export and sale last July.

Matarani is located in the Mollendo desert — one of the regions with the highest solar radiation in the world — and is currently Peru's third largest renewable energy facility, including both solar and wind. It is expected to have an annual production capacity of 260 GWh.

Yinson Renewables acquired the project from Grenergy Renewables in January 2024, based on a turnkey contract for the construction of the plant, for $91 million.

For the company, this is one of two projects it has in the country, along with the 130 MWp Majes project, the first phase of which is expected to be ready for construction by the end of 2024. Yinson Renewables, part of the Yinson Holding Berhad group, is the investment partner in the project along with Verano Energy. Yinson and Verano agreed in 2021 to develop a portfolio of more than 800 MW of photovoltaic energy in Chile, Colombia and Peru.

Matarani has a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with Orygen, Peru's leading renewable energy generator, whose majority shareholder is the global sustainable infrastructure investment fund Actis.

It is worth noting that the PPA mentioned was actually agreed upon by the previous owner of the project, the Spanish company Grenergy, with Enel Generación Perú in a deal made in September of last year involving a total of 2.7 TWh to be delivered over a period of 15 years.

In May of this year it was learned that Actis acquired Enel Generación Perú's portfolio of 2.2 GW, of which 260 MW are photovoltaic, including agreements made.

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