Chile’s energy landscape is undergoing a revolutionary transformation, with the solar thermal tower Cerro Dominador standing as a testament to the nation’s commitment to combating climate change.
Located in the Atacama desert, the only one of its kind in Latin America, this 240-meter tall structure is a central element of Chile’s ambitious green energy program launched in 2019. The goal is to completely phase out fossil fuels by 2040.
Cerro Dominador utilizes the high solar radiation and unique salts found in the Atacama desert, the driest on Earth, to create a potent mix for generating and storing electricity. This solar thermal facility, often likened to Sauron’s tower from The Lord of the Rings, symbolizes Chile’s shift towards sustainable energy sources.
Chile’s former Environment Minister, Marcelo Mena, highlights the country’s remarkable progress, noting that over a third of Chile’s energy now comes from solar and wind power, a feat thought ambitious a decade ago. Currently, 35.4% of Chile’s energy is generated from wind and solar sources, with another 37.2% coming from hydroelectricity. Fossil fuels like oil, coal, and gas constitute only 26.9% of the energy mix.
Cerro Dominador is unique in its construction and operation. It is surrounded by 10,600 mirrors, or heliostats, that direct sunlight to the top of the tower, heating solar salts to 565ºC. These heated salts then flow down to water containers to produce steam, which powers a turbine to generate electricity. With an installed capacity of 110 megawatts, the facility also boasts a 17-hour energy storage capacity due to the unique properties of the solar salts.
Another innovative project in Chile is the Alba Project, which aims to convert a coal-fired thermoelectric plant into a large renewable energy storage system using the same solar salt technology. This conversion would transform the plant into a battery, storing energy supplied by photovoltaic and wind sources.
Diego Pardow, Chile’s Minister of Energy, emphasizes the uniqueness of the Alba Project, which stands as the only one of its scale outside a university setting. As Chile progresses towards eliminating coal plants, the nation plans to either replace them with solar thermal plants or convert them into energy storage systems like the Alba Project, further solidifying its stance in the fight against climate change.