Bolivia switches on 5-MW solar plant

Bolivia's president Evo Morales has switched on a 5-MW photovoltaic (PV) plant in Tarija department.

Located in Yunchara municipality, the PV facility represents an investment of almost BOB 79.4 million (USD 11.6m/EUR 9.4m), the government announced on Sunday. It is connected to the National Interconnected System.

Empresa Eléctrica Guaracachi, part of the state-owned Empresa Nacional de Electricidad (Ende), is the company behind the project. Spanish-Bolivian consortium Emias-Elecnor served as a key contractor.

Comprised of 19,152 solar panels, the park covers an area of 12 hectares (29.6 acres) and can cut the nation consumption of natural gas by 140 million cubic feet per year, the minister of energy, Rafael Alarcon, said.

(BOB 1 = USD 0.14/EUR 0.12)

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