BUENOS AIRES, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Argentine President Mauricio Macri announced on Friday the start of work on the Cauchari solar park, planned to be Latin America's largest solar park with a production capacity of 300 megawatts (MW).
Macri made the announcement from Buenos Aires through a videoconference with the governor of Jujuy Province, Gerardo Morelos, and the head of the cabinet of ministers, Marcos Pena, who were at the plant's location in Cauchari.
"We are putting in place the construction of a solar park, which will give energy to the Argentineans. Solar energy does not pollute," said the president.
The project is made up of three parks -- Cauchari Solar I, II and III -- that generate 100 MW of power each, and will see the installation of a total of 1.2 million solar panels. It attracted an investment of 511 million U.S. dollars and will create 600 direct jobs. It is being actively supported by China, with the Export-Import Bank of China financing part of the project loans.
Macri added that Jujuy "will be a global power for solar energy allowing all Argentineans to grow."
"We made the decision to turn Jujuy into a green province, and in the next 10 years, to contribute 10 percent of the energy matrix Argentina will need," Governor Morales emphasized during the ceremony.
