Transelec S.A. and SunPower announced that Transelec S.A. has acquired the switchyard that interconnects the 100-megawatt El Pelicano solar project with the Integrated Central System (SIC) of Chile. The switchyard, called Don Héctor, has additional capacity to accommodate interconnection for future projects in the area.

The Don Héctor switchyard is located 6.5 kilometers from El Pelicano, which SunPower is constructing in Chile's commune of La Higuera (Coquimbo Region). El Pelicano is expected to be operational by the end of 2017, and will supply 300 gigawatt hours per year of energy to Metro de Santiago, the city of Santiago's underground railway network.

"SunPower foresees enhancing Chile's energy landscape with clean, reliable solar power," said SunPower CFO Chuck Boyton who attended an event commemorating the acquisition. "We're pleased that Transelec also sees the value in investing in solar."

"This purchase completes a process that we have been executing with SunPower, starting with engineering and operation of the Don Héctor Switchyard and culminating in this acquisition with an investment of US$ 17.9 million," said Transelec General Manager Andrés Kuhlmann. "It is important for Transelec to have an asset that will enable the transmission of renewable energy and also has substantial growth potential in a region that is at the forefront of solar energy generation in Chile."

Under construction at the El Pelicano site is a SunPower® Oasis® solar power plant system, which is an innovative, fully-integrated solar solution engineered for rapid and cost-effective deployment while optimizing land use. The technology includes robotic solar panel cleaning capability that uses 75 percent less water than traditional cleaning methods and can help improve system performance by up to 15 percent.