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Contributor: PR Newswire Europe
Wednesday, September 02 2020 - 01:42
AsiaNet
Mainstream Renewable Power Closes Second Phase of c.US$1.8 billion Wind and Solar Financing Deal in Chile
DUBLIN, September 1, 2020, /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/--

- US$620m secured from a consortium of five banks for 630 MW of wind and solar 
assets
- One of the largest renewable energy debt financing deals undertaken in the 
world this year
- Deal underlines Mainstream's commitment to renewable power build-out in Chile 
and its track record in delivering gigawatt-scale renewable energy platforms
- Full 1.3 GW Andes Renovables platform continues to make excellent progress 
despite COVID-19 impact due to strict internal safety protocols

Global wind and solar development company, Mainstream Renewable Power 
("Mainstream" or "The Company"), has reached financial close for the second 
phase of its wholly-owned and fully-contracted 1.3 gigawatt "Andes Renovables" 
wind and solar power generation platform in Chile. 

The Company has successfully raised US$620 million in debt to fund construction 
of phase two of what is one of Latin American's biggest wind and solar 
generation platforms. This brings to US$1.25bn raised to date by the Andes 
Renovables platform.
The Senior financing has been provided by a consortium of five banks: IDB 
Invest, KfW IPEX-Bank, DNB,  CaixaBank and MUFG, and is one of the largest 
renewable energy debt financing deals undertaken in the world this year. A 
sixth bank, Santander, provided a VAT facility.

The 630 megawatt (MW) second phase of Andes Renovables – called "Huemul" – is 
comprised of three onshore wind and two solar PV generation assets. 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.
Andes Renovables 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 first phase, Cóndor reached financial close in November 2019 and is already 
over 30% complete. The build-out 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. The next and 
final phase, "Copihue", is comprised of one further wind asset with a 100 MW 
capacity and is on track to reach financial close in H1 2021. 

Vestas, Nordex Group and Siemens Gamesa are supplying the wind turbines and the 
wind farm assets will be built by Sacyr Industrial, SEMI and Elecnor. The solar 
PV assets will be built by Sterling & Wilson and Metka-Egn. All five main power 
transformers for the projects will be supplied by Hitachi ABB Power Grids. Grid 
connection works will be carried out by Transelec, Inprolec and Isotron-Siemens 
consortium.

Mary Quaney, Mainstream's Group Chief Executive said: 

"Reaching financial close on the second phase of our Andes Renovables platform 
is a further positive step on Mainstream's journey to delivering Latin 
America's number one wind and solar PV power generation platform.

"Despite the uncertain economic environment caused by COVID-19, today's 
announcement is testament to the support of the banking consortium of 
Mainstream as the world's leading independent developer of renewable energy. 

"Mainstream is building something much bigger than the sum of its many parts – 
the Andes Renovables platform is evidence of renewable energy infrastructure on 
a massive scale and comes at a vital time for Chile as the country looks to 
invest in a green and sustainable recovery from COVID-19 by decarbonising its 
electricity system, as well as lowering the price of power generation 
nationwide."

Manuel Tagle, Mainstream's General Manager for Latin America said: 

"This latest milestone comes as we are making excellent progress on the 
construction of the first phase of the platform and I have been delighted by 
the response of our teams on the ground to the challenging conditions that the 
pandemic has created. 
"The economic and environmental impact of the platform is very significant and 
with a development pipeline of 2.7 gigawatts of wind and solar assets in 
addition to the Andes Renovables platform, Mainstream remains committed to 
making an even greater contribution to Chile for the foreseeable future."

Notes to Editors:
 
About Mainstream Renewable Power in 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.

Detailed Project information
 
                   Andes Renovables Platform
Phase	Name    MW onshore wind         MW Solar PV        Commercial Operation
1       Condor  3 assets (426MW)        1 asset (145MW)    2021
2       Huemul  3 assets (425 MW)       2 assets (205 MW)  2021 - 2022
3       Copihue 1 asset (100 MW)        n/a                2022
 	        951 MW (onshore wind)   350 MW (solar PV)	 
 
                    Phase two – Huemul assets
Asset                           MW        Region       Commercial 
Equipment      Construction
Name          Technology       capacity                Operation  
supplier       contractor
                     		 
Puelche Sur   Onshore Wind	 156      Los Lagos    2022	  Nordex Group	 SEMI
Llanos 
del Viento    Onshore Wind	 160      Antofagasta  2022	  Siemens Gamesa Elecnor
Ckani	      Onshore Wind	 109      Antofagasta  2022	  Vestas         Sacyr 
Industrial
Pampa Tigre   Solar PV	         100      Antofagasta  2021	  Full EPC contract
                                                                  Metka-Egn
Valle         Escondido	Solar PV 105	  Atacama      2021      Full EPC contract 
Sterling & Wilson
TOTAL	                         630 	 

Contact: 
Emmet Curley, Head of Communications & Positioning 
Phone: +353 86 2411 690 
Email: emmet.curley@mainstreamrp.com  

About Mainstream Renewable Power 

Mainstream Renewable Power is the world's only independent developer of 
utility-scale wind and solar power assets with a global footprint. The company 
is focused on delivering a high-quality portfolio of more than 9 GW of wind and 
solar assets across Latin America, Africa, Asia Pacific as well as the Offshore 
wind sector globally. 

Mainstream has delivered more than 1.1 GW of wind and solar assets into 
commercial operation and is currently constructing a further 1.9 GW across 
Latin America and Africa.
 
In Chile, Mainstream's wholly-owned 1.3 GW of fully contracted wind and solar 
assets are on track to reach commercial operation from 2021. In Africa, the 
company has delivered 600 MW of wind and solar assets into commercial operation 
in South Africa and currently has 250 MW of wind assets in construction there. 
Through its Lekela Power joint venture in Africa, it has 410 MW of wind assets 
in construction in Senegal and Egypt. 

Mainstream is the most successful independent developer of offshore wind at 
scale globally.  It has successfully consented Hornsea One (1.2 GW), the 
largest operational offshore wind plant in the world today; and developed the 
Hornsea 2 project (1.4 GW)  before selling these projects and the entire Zone 
in 2015.  Mainstream fully consented the Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind project 
in Scotland, 450 MW, currently under construction.  

Mainstream's Soc Trang 800MW offshore wind development in Vietnam is one of 
South East Asia's largest renewable energy developments. The Company signed an 
agreement with Eni, the global energy company, to collaborate on potential 
renewable energy developments across Africa and Southeast Asia, with an initial 
focus on the UK's offshore Round 4.  

Mainstream has raised more than EUR3.0bn in project finance to date and employs 
more than 300 staff across five continents.

www.mainstreamrp.com 

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SOURCE: Mainstream Renewable Power 
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