The country, which enjoys the best solar energy conditions on the planet, is deciding how to capitalize on its carbon-free capacity.
Fernando González proudly enjoys the shade cast by the 140-square-meter mirror that reflects the sun's rays onto a "receiver" on a 250-meter-high tower in the Atacama Desert. However, he is more proud of what technology is achieving in northern Chile. "We are making history here," he says.
The mirror eclipses his 4×4 pickup truck, but it is only one of 10,600 heliostats (its technical name) that extend for 1.5 km in all directions.
"This is the first [solar power plant] of its kind in Latin America," explains González, as he points to the pipes that carry the molten salt to the receiver. The salt is already at 290°C, but when it encounters the combined power of the heliostats, the temperature nearly doubles to 565°C. It is then pumped to power a steam turbine to generate electricity.
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