A new solar power plant with a total capacity of 117MW has entered commercial operation in Argentina.

Equinor and Scatec’s Guañizuil IIA plant in the Province of San Juan will produce enough electricity to power around 80,000 households annually and reduce around 98,000 tons of carbon emissions.

The project is part of the Argentinian Government’s renewable energy tender programme (RenovAR), which resulted in more than 2.4GW of new green energy capacity.

The plant is owned and operated 50% by Scatec and 50% by Equinor.

Pål Eitrheim, Executive Vice President Renewables in Equinor said: “Solar will be among the fastest-growing global energy sources in the next decades and an important element in the global energy transition. Guañizuil IIA is the second solar project we are jointly developing with Scatec in South America.

“We see this partnership as a great way to build our renewables business.”