Chile's Eastern Island utility issues EOI for solar, storage project

Sasipa, a state-owned multi-service utility on Chile’s Easter Island, has issued a call for expressions of interest (EOI), seeking to identify potential participants in a project for the construction of a 2.994-MW solar photovoltaic plant with a battery energy storage system (BESS) of at least 2 MWh.

The remote Chilean island, locally known as Rapa Nui, relies on hydrocarbons for 99% of its energy, with solar accounting for that remaining 1%, Sasipa said. The utility is now looking to dilute the fossil fuel share by having a new solar-plus-storage system integrated with an existing thermal power plant it operates.

The project will be located at an already permitted site near Mataveri International Airport and close to the Mataveri thermal power plant. The island's current medium voltage is 6.6 kV, but there are plans to upgrade to 13.2 kV in the future, so the solar-plus-storage system has to be compatible with this transition.

The winning bidder will be awarded a contract to design, build, monitor and maintain the solar plant and the BESS. The maintenance period will last for 24 months.

Sasipa has designed the bidding process to be completed in two phases. In the first phase, potential bidders will submit their credentials -- legal documents, financial statements, and a record of past projects -- by September 22. Sasipa expects to make a shortlist of potential candidates on October 8.

Bidding by pre-qualified candidates and the awards phase will begin after Sasipa secures financing from the Inter-American Development for the project. The utility expects to obtain the funds by the end of the current year.

Sasipa requires the interest parties to adhere to its strict code of conduct and anti-bribery policy. In addition, solar panels providers for this project have to prove that the panels were not made by child labour or forced labour.

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