Planta CSP (Concentrated Solar Power o Concentración Solar de Potencia)

CSP technology allows concentrating the sun’s energy to transform it into electricity.
In Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) tower plants, mirrors are used to concentrate the sun’s rays onto a receiver where molten salts circulate and are heated to temperatures above 500 degrees. These salts are then stored in tanks to produce steam that generates electricity in a turbine.
CSP systems have the advantage of being able to store heat (molten salts) that generates clean electricity when required, all 24 hours a day.

Cerro Dominador is the first CSP plant in Chile and Latin America. This project is located in the north of Chile, in the María Elena area of the Antofagasta Region and plans to start operations in 2020.
This plant has 10,800 mirrors (heliostats) distributed over an area of 1,000 ha, which concentrates the sun’s rays on a 250 m high tower. The hot salts are sent to three tanks capable of storing the heat for 17.5 hours. Cerro Dominador has an installed capacity of 110 MW, and its energy generation is equivalent to the consumption of 340,000 Chilean homes.
The GIZ pushed this project from the beginning through the elaboration of technical foundations, financing construction developments, and the promotion of the project at national and international levels to show Chile’s potential for the development of this technology.

Animación CSP

Video CSP