Located in the Atacama Desert's high plateau in the Antofagasta Region and was built by Geotérmica del Norte - GDN, a joint venture between Enel Green Power Chile and ENAP. The Cerro Pabellón plant uses high-enthalpy binary-cycle technology. It is South America's only operating geothermal power plant and the first of its kind to be installed in such high altitudes, with a current elevation of 4,500 meters above sea level.
In 2022, its third 33 MW generating unit came into operation, which added to the 48 MW of the two already functioning. The addition gives Cerro Pabellón a total power of 81 MW and a yearly production of 600 GWh, avoiding the emission of 470,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.
Power generated by Cerro Pabellón later merges into the National Electric System.
- Municipality: Ollagüe
- Province: El Loa
- Start of construction: 2015
- Start of operations: 2017
- Capacity: 81 MW