Chile launches tender for CSP plant

CSP World -

28 February, 2013

Chile's government has just launched a tender to build what could be the first CSP plant -for electricity generation- in the country.

Companies, joint ventures or consortiums are invited to submit a project that meet the requirements established in the tender document, including technical and financial requirements. As it's stated in the tender announcement, the project has to be "bankable under commercial banks criteria".

Chile's governmental agency CORFO will award with up to $20 million to the selected project, with a limit of a 50% of project total cost. Moreover, Clean Technology Fund (CTF) will provide a financing support of $67 million through the Inter-American Development Bank and another subsidy of EUR15 million will be awarded by European Commission via Germany's KfW, entity which could also grant a loan of up to EUR100 million.

Key technical charateristics

• Power: minimum 10 MW
• Technology: Parabolic trough or Tower or Linear Fresnel or Parabolic Dish
• Fossil fuel backup: Yes, to keep temperature of HTF. Fossil fuel LHV multiplied by annual consumption must be less than 6% of plant's generation

Applicants are allowed to choose between two options for plant's site. On the one hand, applicants can prove they own or have rights to use a site for the plant, or,  on the other hand, applicants can use a land provided by Chilean government near Maria Elena.

In any case, the winning bidder will have to provide hourly DNI measures for at least six months carried out on the site where the plant will be built.

As it's expected, Chile's government will ask for experience to project promoters:

• Development of a CSP plant of at least 10 MW
• Engineering of at least one CSP plant (minimum 10 MW)
• Construction of at least one CSP plant with a minimum budget for works of $70 million
• Design, construction, operation and maintenance of a CSP plant

Bidders can provide a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for the whole or part of the energy produced. If no PPA or if it doesn't include the whole generation, the electricity will be sold to the spot market.

Tender requires the plant to be operational within five years from signing of the agreement with CORFO.

Submission deadline as it's stated in CORFO's website is August 22, 201

Read more: http://www.csp-world.com/news/20130228/00773/chile-launches-tender-csp-plant#ixzz2MYy8CCNp