Recurrent Energy, a subsidiary of Canadian Solar Inc, has commenced the environmental permitting process for its 250-MW Zaldivar solar and battery energy storage project in northern Chile.
On Monday, the environmental permitting authority of the Antofagasta region accepted Recurrent's application to evaluate the establishment of the project within its jurisdiction. Publicly available filings indicate that the solar and storage developer plans to invest USD 238 million (EUR 220.4 million) in the Zaldivar initiative.
The renewable energy complex will include a solar farm featuring over 384,000 bifacial monocrystalline modules, along with a 250-MW four-hour battery energy storage system (BESS). Situated on a parcel of land spanning 468.86 hectares (approximately 50.5 million square feet), the site is located approximately 122 km (75.8 miles) east of the city of Antofagasta.
Construction is slated to commence in March 2026, as outlined in Recurrent's environmental impact statement (EIS).
Recurrent submitted the EIS through its entity Zapaleri SpA, which secured 15-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) in Chile's 2022 power supply auction for the Zaldivar solar-plus-storage project. According to Canadian Solar, Zaldivar will operate partly under these PPAs, with the remaining output to be sold to private off-takers.
