Metlen inaugurated its second solar project in Chile

This is a machine translation of the original release issued in Spanish.

PRESS RELEASE from Metlen
August 8, 2024

• By 2025, Doña Antonia will have energy storage batteries for more than 230 MWh each day, which will allow it to provide additional supply during solar hours.  
• The park will generate energy equivalent to the annual consumption of more than 85,000 homes and will avoid the emission of more than 80 thousand tons of CO2 each year.

Ovalle, August 8. - The Greek renewable energy company, Metlen Energy & Metals, today inaugurated its second own project in Chile. This is the Doña Antonia solar park, with an investment of US$65 million and an installed capacity of 86 MW of clean and 100% renewable energy for the green development of the country.

The ceremony was attended by the Greek ambassador to Chile, Nikolaos Piperigos; the senator for the Coquimbo region, Sergio Gahona; the deputy for district 5, Marco Antonio Sulantay; the presidential delegate for Coquimbo, Galo Luna; the presidential delegate for Limarí, Marily Escobar; the mayor of Ovalle, Jonathan Acuña; the regional secretary for Energy, Eduardo Lara; the regional secretary for Economy, Pía Castillo; and representatives of the communities of La Verdiona and Romerarcillo and residents of Ovalle.

The park, which was included in the Pro-Growth project portfolio for the Coquimbo region, is located on a 200-hectare private plot of land located 14 kilometers north of Ovalle and has 151,920 solar panels.

Construction of this project began in 2023, with an average of more than 400 workers, and at the end of 2025 it will add energy storage batteries, the latest trend in the industry that allows for optimizing consumption by storing the energy obtained during daylight hours.

“Chile is our platform for growth in Latin America and Doña Antonia is also an example of how we connect and work in coordination with local communities, with the purpose of contributing to the sustainable development of the locations where we are present,” explained Juan Pablo Toledo, country manager of Metlen Latam. He added that “through the development of clean energy and adding the use of batteries, we will be able to inject more reliable energy into the system, avoiding inefficiencies such as energy spills.”

During construction, outreach work was carried out with the La Verdiona Agricultural Community, the only neighbour of the project, with which a project was developed to safeguard the archaeological heritage of the “Panulcillo II” park. The initiative, inaugurated together with the community, highlights the heritage value of the archaeological remains, through informative signage, the development of a pedestrian circuit and rest areas with benches and sustainable rubbish bins made from the recycling of 1,200 kilograms of plastic.

Doña Antonia is part of a portfolio of four Metlen projects in Chile that involved a total investment of US$460 million. The other three are Willka (109.2 MW), which was inaugurated last December, and the Tocopilla (227 MW) parks in María Elena and Tamarico (167 MW) in Vallenar, which will come into operation in 2024. With this portfolio, Metlen will supply Enel Chile , with whom it signed a solar energy purchase agreement (PPA).

About Metlen Energy & Metals

Metlen Energy & Metals, the evolution of MYTILINEOS Energy & Metals, is a leading energy and metals company focused on sustainability and the circular economy. The company is listed on the Athens Stock Exchange with consolidated revenues and EBITDA of €5,492 million and €1,014 million, respectively. Metlen is a leader in competitive green metallurgy on a European and global scale, while operating the only vertically integrated bauxite, alumina and primary aluminium production unit in the European Union (EU) with wholly-owned port facilities.

The Greek multinational seeks to build a more sustainable and conscious future in the world. It has built solar projects for more than 1.5 GW in Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Oceania. In this sense, prior to the development of its own portfolio, Metlen built more than 600 MW in solar projects in Chile in the north of the country for companies such as Enel, Mainstream Renewable Power, Sonnedix, Glenfarne, among others. It currently holds the first position as a builder of photovoltaic parks with a portfolio of 588 MW.

In the energy sector, Metlen Chile focuses on projects that contribute to climate change mitigation. It engages with its employees, customers and local communities to develop innovative and sustainable solutions that address current needs, anticipate future demands and promote broader social objectives in line with the United Nations Global Compact. This approach is aligned with the Metlen Group's strategic commitment to create a strong positive economic, social and environmental footprint.