Energy giant Enel Chile, through its Chilean unit Enel Green Power Chile, has begun commercial operation of the country’s 398MW Guanchoi solar plant.

Enel received authorisation from the national electricity coordinator to commence operation after the solar plant passed all tests ensuring its safety and performance.

Located in the Atacama region in the country, the Guanchoi solar plant is powered by 893,508 solar panels.

The panels feature bifacial monocrystalline technology, allowing them to achieve greater efficiency in capturing solar radiation. They generate 14% more electricity than conventional solar panels.

The plant is one of the largest operating projects in Chile, generating 1,100 gigawatt-hours of clean energy annually.

The project’s generated power will be fed into the Chilean national electricity grid and will supply a million homes.

It will also prevent 900,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually from entering the atmosphere.

The company used a “string-type” inverter, which offers greater efficiency in the conversion of direct current to alternating current, resulting in reduced unit maintenance costs.

Systems such as wireless trackers simplify the maintenance of the project once operational.

A total of 1,200 people were employed during its construction phase, most of whom were local to the region.

Enel also recently agreed to sell 50% of the stake in its Australian operations to Japanese oil and gas exploration and production company Inpex for €400m ($448.68m).

Inpex will acquire a stake in Enel Green Power Australia and in Enel Green Power Australia Trust.