Evaluación de la contribución de los bonos de carbono a la competitividad de las centrales solares de concentración en Chile

Abstract

Currently in Chile about 68% of the electricity is generated by thermal power plants, consuming fossil fuels which are approximately 90% imported. The high variations on the price of such resources affect directly the industrial production, and therefore hindering the national development. Nonetheless, Chile presents high availability of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, which can represent a viable alternative in achieving the challenges in energy security and climate change mitigation goals. Despite that, the current deployment of renewable energy technologies in Chile is not significant, mainly due to the high risk associated to such projects. The aim of the present work is to assess the contribution of the carbon credits to the competitiveness of concentrating solar power plants. The evaluation is carried out by several simulations using the System Advisor Model software, coupled with the official methodologies from UNFCCC for estimating the emission reduction and considering several scenarios for the composition of the Chilean electricity matrix. Through this analysis it is possible to establish that the risk perception is not justified, since at the particular climatic conditions of northern Chile, can be competitive with other energy sources. In this context, the key variables are the solar irradiation, financing alternatives and tax incentives. However, the carbon credits can also represent a decrease of the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), depending on the evolution of the carbon market.