The Arauco complex reached an installed nominal capacity of 345 MW after incorporating the Arauco Solar I park. The infrastructure located in La Rioja brings together 285 MW of wind generation and 60 MW of photovoltaic generation on the same site. With this combination, it was presented as the largest renewable energy complex in the country concentrated in a single location.
Arauco Solar I completed its tests and received commercial authorization during July of 2026. In June, its first month of operational evaluation, it recorded a capacity factor of 20.39%. The indicator exceeded the performance reported for other solar parks in La Rioja during the same period, although a single initial monthly measurement does not by itself allow determining the project's annual performance.
The total declared capacity places Arauco above other major individual developments mentioned as reference: Loma Blanca, in Chubut, with 307 MW; El Quemado, in Mendoza, with 305 MW; and Cauchari, in Jujuy, with 300 MW. The comparison considers installed nominal capacity at a site and not actual production, availability, or annual energy delivered.
The wind and solar integration allows diversifying the sources within the property. The wind turbines and panels can take advantage of different weather conditions, while sharing part of the connection and operation infrastructure. This scheme aims to improve the use of existing facilities, but the amount of electricity actually provided will depend on the available resource and the technical performance of each system.
The Government of La Rioja framed the expansion within a provincial policy aimed at infrastructure, technology, and development of local capabilities. The photovoltaic incorporation adds a new stage to the growth of the wind farm. The information released does not detail at this stage the total investment, permanent employment, revenue from energy sales, or a schedule for new expansions.
The verifiable data is the entry into commercial operation of Arauco Solar I and the sum of 60 MW to the 285 existing MW wind turbines. The characterization as the largest renewable complex is based on the nominal power grouped in the same location. Its energy and economic impact should be measured with series of generation, availability, costs, and contributions to the grid over time.
