Atacama Desert Lithium Microgrid
Solar-Hybrid Microgrid with Zero-Water Immersion Cooling at 3,200m Elevation
A 100% islanded microgrid replacing millions of liters of diesel fuel hauled up the Andes Mountains for lithium extraction and processing facilities.
Atmospheric pressure derating at 3,200m elevation, hyper-arid sandstorms, extreme diurnal temperature swings (-10°C at night to +48°C at midday), and absolute zero water availability for evaporative cooling.
INGENEV deployed modular hybrid power containers paired with a 45 MW bifacial solar array. Utilizing closed-loop phase-change thermal storage that absorbs excess daytime solar heat and releases it during cold desert nights, requiring zero external water consumption.
“Hauling diesel to 3,200 meters was our single largest operating cost and carbon liability. INGENEV's solar-hybrid microgrid cut our power OPEX by over 70% and paid for itself in under three years.”