Chile – Extreme Desert Environment Insulation for Solar Power Plant Project

Project Background

Chile is rapidly expanding its renewable energy capacity to support its mining decarbonization goals. However, the Atacama Desert – the driest and most UV-intense region on Earth – presents extreme challenges:

• Ultra-high UV radiation accelerates silicone rubber aging
• Extreme temperature swings (-5℃ to 45℃) cause thermal fatigue
• Salt spray + desert dust creates difficult-to-clean pollution layers, leading to flashover risks

A large-scale solar PV plant substation in northern Chile needed overhead line protection equipment capable of withstanding these harsh desert conditions.

Fuerte Solution

Zhejiang Fuerte delivered an “Extreme Environment Insulation Protection Package” :

1.Anti-UV Reinforced Silicone Rubber Insulators

• Special UV-stabilized compound with nano-hydrophobic fillers
• 1000-hour xenon lamp aging test– maintained >90% hydrophobicity and mechanical strength

2.Full Composite-Housed Arresters (FY Series)

• One-step injection molding – no internal air gaps, preventing moisture and salt ingress
• Self-cleaning silicone rubber sheds – restore insulation after morning dew or rare rain

3.Desert-Grade Drop-out Fuse (HRW12 Series)

• Optimized for large temperature cycling to prevent nuisance fuse operation
• Reliable interruption in low-humidity, high-dust environments

Project Results & Customer Feedback

After one year of operation, the substation recorded:

• Zero pollution flashover events– even through the dry season and coastal salt spray

“The Atacama Desert is a nightmare for electrical equipment. Fuerte’s products survived and thrived. What impressed us most was their upfront engineering support – they provided a full insulation coordination study before we even placed the order.”
— Project Manager, Chilean EPC Contractor