A new hydropower facility with a total capacity of 172MW has officially been opened in Peru.

Located 130 kilometers north of Lima on the Huaura river, the Cheves plant will generate around 840GWh of green energy every year, according to developer Statkraft.

The project is the Norwegian firm’s ninth power plant in the country and increases its renewable energy generation in Peru to 2,500GWh per year.

The electricity produced from the new facility will be sold as part of a long term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with eight local distribution companies.

Asbjørn Grundt, Executive Vice President for International Hydropower at Statkraft said: “The opening of Cheves consolidates Statkraft’s position among the largest power producers in Peru. It also underlines our ambition to further strengthen our position as a leading international provider of pure energy.”