Solaria 350 MW Solar Park Site Identified in Uruguay

Uruguay’s government has identified approximately 670 hectares in the Florida department to host a 350 MW solar park. The facility will be developed by Spanish firm Solaria Energía y Medio Ambiente as part of a data center complex with a capacity of up to 500 MW. The land is owned by the National Administration of Power Plants and Electric Transmission Lines (UTE), the state-owned utility, and has already been reclassified to accommodate the project. The initiative involves a total investment of $5.7 billion, of which $200 million is allocated to solar generation.

Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi met on November 9 with the mayors of Canelones, Francisco Legnani; San José, Ana María Bentaberri; and Florida, Carlos Enciso, to establish a work schedule for coordinating the project’s execution. Also present at the meeting were Industry, Energy and Mining Minister Fernanda Cardona and Presidential Secretary Alejandro Sánchez.

The mayor of Florida confirmed that the state utility UTE has secured the land required to build the solar array and that the zoning for the site has already been updated to permit the development. The Cardal area within the department features existing high-voltage transmission and distribution infrastructure, which the government views as a critical asset for the initiative. Cardona noted that proximity to electrical grid nodes was a key factor in selecting the site, a strategy aimed at cutting down on connection timelines and expenses.

Data centers will be split between Canelones and San José, with plans to utilize approximately 100 and 150 hectares in those departments, respectively. It has not yet been determined which location will host the initial phase of the project. That decision will hinge on the purchase of the land, the issuance of environmental permits, and the completion of administrative procedures with the relevant municipal and departmental authorities.

Cardona announced that technical meetings will be held with each departmental government to review the proposed sites, the required infrastructure, and the relevant administrative procedures. The minister also dismissed reports claiming the project would occupy 2,700 hectares, stating that the land under consideration will not displace existing productive activities. Final site areas will be determined by technical and environmental studies.

As pv magazine reported in October, the agreement between Solaria and the Uruguayan government is structured in two phases. The first phase will include 200 MW of capacity for data centers and the full 350 MW of planned solar photovoltaic capacity. The second phase will add another 300 MW for data centers. Of the total announced investment, 5.5 billion dollars will be allocated to the technology complex, which will operate under the free zone regime.

The agreement also includes a power purchase agreement (PPA) with UTE, lasting up to 40 years, for the electricity generated by the photovoltaic facilities. Solaria will be responsible for developing and operating the free zone, as well as managing the infrastructure and connecting the complex to Uruguay’s 500 kV transmission grid. According to official projections, the first phase will create approximately 3,100 jobs during the construction period, including 700 positions directly linked to the solar plants. Once the entire complex is fully operational, an additional 1,500 permanent jobs are estimated.