During the celebration of the 140th anniversary of the France-Chilean Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI FC), the French state-owned energy company EDF was awarded the “French Company of the Year” prize for the development of CEME 1, Chile's largest solar plant, which was inaugurated last year.
At a ceremony held at the Metropolitan Santiago, the CCI France-Chile presented the 2024 Business Awards, an annual recognition of companies that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and the country's economic development.
These awards recognize projects that reate positive economic, social, and environmental impacts, reflecting the innovative spirit that characterizes French companies operating in Chile.
"We are very honored by this recognition, which confirms EDF's commitment to sustainable development and Chile's energy transition. CEME 1, a solar plant that includes storage batteries, is an example of the type of projects that the electricity system needs to continue advancing in its decarbonization and achieve greater flexibility to meet Chile’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050," said EDF's CEO in Chile, Joan Leal.
The CEME 1 photovoltaic plant, located in María Elena, Antofagasta Region, is a project that EDF developed through its subsidiary Generadora Metropolitana. The plant has an installed capacity of 480 MW and more than 882,000 photovoltaic panels to power over 500,000 homes. In addition, 1,200 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) is under development, enhancing efficiency and enabling a more constant supply of renewable energy.