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ENERCON is making significant progress in the construction of Horizonte Wind Farm in the Atacama Desert in Chile. Over thirty wind turbines have been officially put into operation.
Following commissioning of the project in May 2024, over thirty wind turbines have been officially put into operation, boosting the production of energy from the location to enhance the proportion of renewable wind energy in the Chilean energy mix.
This is primarily because more than 92 percent of the components could meanwhile be delivered to the construction site and are now in the final stage of installation. The ENERCON Team is passionate about solving challenges that come up on site. A good example of this is the APS system and wind-resistant electronic winches for installing blades in windy conditions. This has helped to improve installation plans and boost the completion of WEC installation by the end of the year. Over 100 WECs have been installed to date.
This is even more a convincing performance since official police escorts were not sufficiently available and reliable as we had required, the project was facing a major logistical challenge that would have resulted in significant delays in installation plans. In the interest of the project's success, ENERCON worked tirelessly on a solution and introduced private escorts at the end of 2023. Having been involved in the Horizonte WF since the early beginning, Kay Akanbi, ENERCON’s Project Director, is pleased to report that “Delivery on site (DOS) is expected to be completed about 5 weeks later than the original plan, which is a great achievement compared to the impending 12-month delay as a result of the missing police escorts this time last year.”
Because of its isolated location – two hours away from the closest city for medical assistance, the site has two ambulances and helicopter access available 24/7 in case of emergencies – all HSE topics have been a major focus for ENERCON and our customer Colbún, taking into account the natural surroundings of the location and the involvement of twenty-eight companies operating on site. A recent audit led by both teams showed great performance, reflecting the dedication and effort of ENERCON's HSE Team.
Teams are located throughout an 80 km desert area with daily access to more than 30 wind turbines for work, from installation to energization, thus, complete coordination and management of permits for work are continuously handled across this vast area. Hence, ENERCON and Colbún worked together extensively on all preparatory tasks and evaluations to guarantee a smooth and flawless connection.
Victor Santiago, Colbun's Project Manager for the development and construction of the Horizonte WF, stated: "Colbún provided the knowledge of the Antofagasta region and Chile as a whole, while ENERCON is the product expert, manufacturing, transporting, installing and operating the WECs. This synergy of expertise was the key to the project's success.” Despite facing challenges, the entire Team remains extremely motivated to maintain the current strong momentum in order to successfully complete this impressive project for ENERCON and our customer Colbún by the end of the year.
As a provider of integrated solutions for the connected Green Energy Ecosystem, ENERCON supports its customers in the realization of onshore wind energy projects. To fully unlock project potential, the company combines its high-performance, high-yield wind turbines with complementary solution components and services, enhancing customer benefits and the overall value of wind energy. The range of the solution portfolio, from which customers can select modules according to their requirements, extends from planning and installation to management and control, service and maintenance, and optimization of system performance during the operational phase.
As a pioneer in renewable energy with over 40 years of experience and a deep understanding of the demands of a changing energy system, ENERCON’s scope has always extended beyond mere wind turbines. With the mission ‘Energy for the World’, the company has been committed to sustainable energy generation from onshore wind since 1984. Thanks to its innovative turbine technology, high quality standards, and an installed total capacity of more than 65 gigawatts, ENERCON is among the world’s leading renewable energy companies.
With extensive expertise in the area of ‘holistic project development’, ‘connected operations’, and ‘smart optimization’, a dense service network, and a broad network of partners and service providers, ENERCON is a competent and reliable partner for its customers in all project phases. Headquartered in Aurich, Lower Saxony, the company employs around 13,000 people at administrative, sales, production, and service locations worldwide.
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