Chile

In 2016, Mainstream was the biggest winner in Chile’s largest ever technology-neutral electricity auction, taking 27% of the total allocated capacity. Chile’s National Energy Commission awarded Mainstream a 20-year index-linked, US dollar denominated contract, to supply 3,366 Gigawatt Hours of firm power starting in 2021.

Mainstream has also delivered an additional 332 MW of wind generation in Chile via the Aela Platform with its joint venture partner Actis, delivering its first wind farm into commercial operation in 2014. Mainstream has an additional 2,700 MW of wind and solar PV generation assets under development in Chile.

The Andes Renovables platform is a c.US$1.8 billion, three phase wind and solar generation platform comprised of seven onshore wind and three solar PV generation assets.  The platform is the result of the company's significant win in the 2016 auctions where Mainstream were awarded 27% of the total allocated capacity. 

The Platform comprises three phases, Cóndor, Huemul and Copihue.

The first phase, Cóndor (570 MW) consisting of three wind and one solar asset reached financial close in November 2019.  it is already 30% complete and the build-out of the assets has created nearly 1,200 jobs across three regions of the country and has safely continued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic under strict sanitary and social distancing protocols.

Cóndor represents an investment of US$580 million. When operational in 2021, it will generate enough sustainable electricity to power 680,000 Chilean homes and will displace 656,000 metric tonnes of CO2 each year. Read press statement here.

The 630 megawatt (MW) second phase of Andes Renovables – called “Huemul” – is comprised of three onshore wind and two solar PV generation assets and reached financial close in September 2020.

All five assets are in pre-construction and will reach commercial operation between 2021 and 2022. They will generate enough sustainable electricity to power 781,000 Chilean homes and will displace 744,200 metric tonnes of CO2 each year. Read press statement here.

Phase three, "Copihue" (100 MW) will reach financial close in 2021.

In 2013, Mainstream established its  Chilean joint venture together with Actis – Aela Energía.  It consists of three operational wind farms; Sarco (170 MW), Aurora (129 MW) and Cuel (33 MW).   

Aela won 64% of total allocated capacity in the 2015 Chilean competitive auction process winning two PPAs and in 2016 an additional PPA was awarded for the Cuel project.