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It is located in the Atacama Desert, in the north of the country. It is a joint project of the General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC) of Chile, and the French company Thales.
The worlds first fully solar-powered air traffic control radar station has been inaugurated in the Atacama Desert, Antofagasta region, developed by Thales for the General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC) of Chile.
The photovoltaic plant, located at more than 3,500 meters above sea level, deploys 340 solar panels on one hectare with a maximum generation capacity of approximately 960 kWh per day; It also has an energy storage system.
In a statement, it is explained that the solar-powered radar system, with high irradiance in that area, is composed "of an advanced and efficient STAR NG primary radar and an RSM secondary radar." “Combined,” the information adds, “the radars provide all the operational surveillance requirements of civil and military air traffic control, detecting both slow- and fast-moving targets, such as helicopters, commercial aircraft and jets.”
The director of DGAC Systems, Juan Alegría, stated that the system will provide air security to the north of the country “where there is currently a high density of air traffic that will be fully covered by this new system, given its measurement range, which is the highest. of the market with 100 nautical miles (185.2 km) in the case of primary radar and 250 nautical miles in the case of secondary radar.”
Meanwhile, for the vice president of Thales civil radar segment, Lionel de Castellane, it is “an example of a project that contributes to a future with low carbon emissions and contributes to the IATA commitment to fly with net zero emissions by 2050.” |
