The project that Techint Engineering & Construction is carrying out for Minera Doña Inés de Collahuasi has just expanded to include a data center, which is 100% powered by solar energy. The initiative dovetails perfectly with the Company’s commitment to gradually reduce its dependence on conventional energy sources and pave the way for the energy transition.

At the C20+ project to build a seawater pumping system for Compañía Minera Doña Inés de Collahuasi in the region of Tarapacá in northern Chile the IT department has just notched up a new milestone. They’ve set up a data center at the Victoria Logistics Center worksite using photovoltaic technology.

“Being able to install a new computer center powered entirely by renewable energy is an amazing milestone. Using sunlight to generate electricity brings substantial environmental and economic benefits, particularly considering the enormous potential offered by solar energy in the Tarapacá Region,” explains Edwin Melgar, C20+ IT Leader. He highlights that the overall move towards energy efficiency is one of the main factors driving improvements in the sustainability of data centers.

This technological solution involves an 11-meter tower and an installation of 12 solar panels. These receive sunlight and send it through an inverter to the batteries, which feed the UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) enabling the use of most information and communications equipment, such as the WiFi connection and network, the access routers and computer servers.

The design of the solar system means that they have clean energy 24/7, avoiding the need to use the public power grid or generators running on diesel fuel. “Aiming for sustainability and promoting the use of renewable energies from now on, is both the challenge and the added value of the C20+ Systems area. Also, as we no longer depend on conventional energy, we substantially reduce the risk of electrical outages or other events,” says Alberto Carbonero, IT manager at C20+.

TOWARD SUSTAINABLE ENERGY

According to Melgar, the idea arose from the company’s experience at the Quellaveco project in the Moquegua region of southern Peru. Here the team designed and built a smaller-sized container which runs off photovoltaic power at the Logistics Center, and is also self-sustaining. “After learning from what they did at Quellaveco, the challenge is to continue using renewable energy even more. We believe that it’s through initiatives and projects like this one that we can guarantee continuous service, in a sustainable way that is also respectful of our environment,” he declares.

The Tarapacá region is characterized by its vast energy potential, key to promoting productive and economic development using clean and sustainable energy solutions.