Parque Arauco is considering converting approximately 100 MW originally planned for wind power developments to photovoltaic generation. This decision is part of a strategy aimed at further hybridization and leveraging the existing electrical infrastructure in La Rioja.
“We are close to being able to switch the 100 MW that we had circulating in wind power and they will probably become solar as well in the near future,” anticipated Pablo Noriega, Technology and Operations Manager of Parque Arauco (PEA) , during the streaming event “It had to be said and it was said ,” which is carried out by Energía Estratégica .
Watch the full program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFo2ge7WK34&pp=0gcJCZsLAYcqIYzv
The definition comes just over two months after the official opening of Arauco I , the company's first photovoltaic park , which has 64 MW of installed power and with which the incorporation raised the operating capacity of the Valle de la Puerta hybrid complex to 345 MW .
There is room for expansion. Parque Arauco has 450 MW of evacuation capacity , so it can still add power without immediately building new transmission lines.
The technological change under study responds to the characteristics of the resource and the need to use the existing connection more efficiently. In the province of La Rioja, daytime photovoltaic production is complemented by a wind regime that increases during the afternoon and persists throughout the night .
The highest generation from the wind turbines is concentrated mainly between 3:00 or 4:00 PM and 6:00 AM . The photovoltaic plant covers the preceding hours and allows the complex's delivery profile to be extended throughout practically the entire day.
“Being able to hybridize with the recent Arauco I solar project gives us that greater breadth of the curve and allows us to cover the entire day (...) Hybridization between technologies is a reality and I believe it will happen more and more, and hybridization of storage will also come, naturally,” highlighted the Technology and Operations Manager.
Storage thus appears to be the next component of the complex. Its addition would allow for managing surpluses, shifting deliveries to other times, and reducing exposure to system constraints , although the company has not yet disclosed capacity, technology, or specific timelines.
In addition to projects that could change their energy source, Parque Arauco is preparing the integration of Chamical, corresponding to 18 MW awarded in the RenMDI 2023 tender . The expansion will utilize the available capacity within the existing evacuation infrastructure.
The strategy is based on a steadily growing wind power base. Over the past two and a half to three years, the company has added more than 130 MW of capacity through projects linked to the RenovAr Program , some of which have been completed or upgraded.
However, the executive believes the market can no longer focus solely on adding megawatts. Transmission capacity, system flexibility, and changes in demand necessitate a review of project planning.
While new demand could come from sectors with intensive consumption, such as the supply of Vaca Muerta in Patagonia and mining in Cuyo and Northwest Argentina , along with industrial decarbonization processes, the electrification of transport, data centers and artificial intelligence.
“Furthermore, the decarbonization goals in the industrial sector, along with the electrification of transportation in terms of mobility, will place us in a different scenario and level of demand. As will the rise of data and artificial intelligence,” Noriega stated.
“Before, we were focused on one thing, which was growing in capacity; today we need to broaden our scope a bit. We need to think about a dynamic scenario of strategies that were previously very focused solely on growing installed capacity, and now we must see how we complement everything ,” he stated.
Digitalization and new models for renewable energy operation
In parallel, Parque Arauco plans an operation with greater reliance on digital tools, remote monitoring, cloud systems, and artificial intelligence . The goal is to reduce the burden on legacy platforms and manage assets from different technologies in an integrated way.
“I envision a scenario where digital or remote operations, and legacy systems, will go from being increasingly smaller in our infrastructures to the cloud,” Noriega states.
Digitalization can improve predictive maintenance, equipment availability, resource estimation, and internal dispatch within the complex. It will also be relevant for coordinating wind turbines, photovoltaic panels, and future battery systems .
“AI and a host of other technologies are increasingly penetrating the market, giving us a different business model scenario for everything, not just for wind power, but for hybridization and what's to come,” the executive says.
Opportunities include operating platforms, data analytics, automation, cybersecurity, failure prediction, and asset optimization. This technological layer can generate new revenue and reduce costs without relying solely on lower equipment prices.