{"id":50023529,"date":"2019-02-22T11:50:22","date_gmt":"2019-02-22T11:50:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stage.dialogochino.net\/?p=23529"},"modified":"2023-11-14T10:33:32","modified_gmt":"2023-11-14T10:33:32","slug":"23529-china-builds-latin-americas-largest-solar-plant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/energy\/23529-china-builds-latin-americas-largest-solar-plant\/","title":{"rendered":"China builds Latin America\u2019s largest solar plant"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the northern Argentine province of Jujuy, at a dizzying 4,000 metres above sea level, red and blue banners inscribed with Chinese characters flap outside a temporary office perched on a barren desert. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is Cauchari, the site of Latin America\u2019s largest solar plant. Chinese technology and finance have enabled the project, which is part of Argentina\u2019s plan to boost renewable energy generation. With Argentina struggling to attract foreign investment for infrastructure over the past decade, it has increasingly turned to China, and Cauchari reflects the two countries\u2019 close cooperation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chinese banks and companies have developed coal-fired power plants worldwide. Now they are making the foray into cross-border solar energy development. But are projects such as Cauchari exceptional or a sign of a broader shift towards China developing clean energy overseas?<\/span><\/p>\n<div class='cdo-shortcode--image'><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PCvvCW3-pHE\" width=\"560\" height=\"425\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><\/div>\n<h2>Harnessing the desert sun, with China\u2019s support<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cauchari is a remote site 300 kilometres from San Salvador, Jujuy\u2019s capital. When finished, it will consist of 1.2 million solar panels and provide the grid with 300 megawatts of power, eventually expanding to produce <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/renewablesnow.com\/news\/argentinas-jujuy-signs-pact-with-chinese-firms-for-200-mw-pv-park-expansion-635266\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">500 <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">megawatts, making it one of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.power-technology.com\/features\/the-worlds-biggest-solar-power-plants\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">largest solar plants in the world<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cCauchari is in the area with the best solar radiation of the world. We also have good weather conditions and low smog, both good for the project,\u201d said Guillermo Giralt, technical director of Cauchari Solar, one of the companies involved in the project.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class='block--pullout-stat block--pullout-stat--float cd-shortcode--factbox'>\n                <p class='block--pullout-stat__title'>$US 1 million<\/p>\n                <div class='block--pullout-stat__content'>\n                    <br \/>\nin annual profits will be given to the\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">indigenous communities who own the land where Cauchari is located<\/span><br \/>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Export-Import Bank of China (China Exim) is financing 85% of the project\u2019s US$390 million total cost. The local government will provide the remainder through a <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/stage.dialogochino.net\/11080-chinas-flirtation-with-green-finance\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">green bond<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provincial energy company JEMSE owns and manages the plant, which is being built by Shanghai Electric Power Construction (SEPC), a subsidiary of the construction group Powerchina. A Chinese firm, Talesun, is also supplying the solar panels.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government has agreed to provide indigenous communities, who own the land where Cauchari is located, with 2% of its annual profits. This share could equate to up to US$1 million. Community members have also received training and a range of job opportunities at the site, ranging from catering to transportation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOur initial condition for the project was for it to have local workers. In order to achieve that, we trained 600 people from nearby towns and then hired them,\u201d said Mario Pizarro, Jujuy\u2019s energy secretary. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The project will likely be finished by May and have a lifespan of 25 years. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Argentina\u2019s clean energy drive<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Cauchari solar plant is expected to cut both energy costs and carbon dioxide emissions. The latter by some 325,000 tonnes. It is one of the largest projects awarded through the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chinadialogue.net\/article\/show\/single\/en\/9419-China-s-impressive-stake-in-Latin-America-s-renewables\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RenovAR<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> energy auction, which approved 147 projects with a combined installed capacity of 4,466 megawatts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cCauchari represents the success of the RenovAR scheme and shows the potential of renewables in Argentina. We have great green resources with a lot of potential that are starting to come to light,\u201d said congressman Juan Carlos Villalonga, who is head of the Los Verdes green party.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government has set a target for renewables to account for 20% of the entire energy matrix by 2025. They now account for about 4%. However, the renewables push runs in parallel to the promotion of hydrocarbons extraction through dozens of shale gas and oil projects in the southern region of Patagonia.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Argentina has a huge potential to generate wind power in Patagonia and solar in the north. Resources exist for biogas and biomass in provinces with sizeable agricultural industries. Despite this potential, Argentina lags behind its Latin American neighbours. <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Cauchari solar plant is expected to cut both energy costs and carbon dioxide emissions. The latter by some 325,000 tonnes.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chilean energy watchdog the National Electric Coordinator (CEN) <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/renewablesnow.com\/news\/solar-to-push-gas-out-of-chiles-top-3-power-sources-in-2019-638831\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">estimates <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that solar will account for nearly 10% of the energy mix this year, while wind could hit just over 6%. Meanwhile Uruguay has been consistently growing its share of wind and solar, which accounted for over <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/ieefa.org\/ieefa-update-a-renewable-energy-revolution-in-uruguay-for-all-the-world-to-see\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">44%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of its electricity generation in some months last year. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>China\u2019s growing presence in Argentina<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Argentina enjoys a \u201cstrategic integral alliance\u201d with China, a high diplomatic status that the latter confers on only a handful of countries. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Former president Cristina Fern\u00e1ndez de Kirchner elevated the level of cooperation by signing dozens of treaties with China, many of them controversial. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the last decade, Chinese products went from accounting for 5% to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.clarin.com\/economia\/desafio-venderle-china_0_F8uhRNHmS.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">20% of Argentina\u2019s imports<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Argentina\u2019s exports to China did not grow at the same rate, increasing from just 8% to around 12% today. This has led to a record trade deficit of more than US$5 billion between the two countries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alongside investing in several infrastructure projects such as dams and railways, China has played a key role in the RenovAR scheme. In the first round of bidding, half the winning wind energy projects and three quarters of solar were linked to Chinese capital and technology, according to Carlos Saint James, former head of Argentina&#8217;s Renewable Energies Chamber (CADER).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The use of Chinese technology in Argentine energy projects has generated concerns among national industry associations, who fear the incentives offered to foreign companies through programmes such as RenovAR inhibit the use of their own technology.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to wholesale power administrator Cammesa, Argentine technology accounted for scarcely <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pagina12.com.ar\/155090-negocio-a-medida-de-los-importadores\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the total used in wind energy projects auctioned through RenovAR\u2019s first two rounds. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the nuclear sector, Argentine president Mauricio Macri met with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in December amid expectations the two would approve plants with Chinese finance and reactors. This despite Argentina\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/stage.dialogochino.net\/12583-with-new-allies-argentina-reassesses-its-relationship-with-china\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">advanced nuclear<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> industry. The project stalled after a group of former environment ministers wrote to the government questioning its economic wisdom.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Chinese banks and companies eye solar<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Cauchari plant is part of a nascent but growing trend of Chinese financiers and companies striking out in the cross-border solar market. Since 2010, China Exim and China Development Bank (CDB), along with a handful of companies, have pursued solar projects globally. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CDB and Exim are state-owned policy banks tasked with supporting the government\u2019s domestic and overseas development agenda. This includes promoting industrial upgrading and building an overseas market for Chinese companies.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class='cdo-shortcode--image'>\n<p><iframe class=\"highcharts-iframe\" style=\"border: 0; width: 100%; height: 425px;\" src=\"https:\/\/cloud.highcharts.com\/embed\/K_ib-1NDl\/\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/div><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To date, the banks <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cgef\/#\/2010\/EnergySource\/Solar\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">have financed<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a number of large-scale solar projects in developed countries and countries closely integrated with the Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, including <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chinadialogue.net\/article\/show\/single\/en\/8160-China-helps-Pakistan-build-world-s-largest-solar-farm\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pakistan in 2015<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/gdp\/files\/2018\/11\/GDP-and-WRI-BRI-MovingtheGreenbelt.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">World Resources Institute (WRI) and Boston University study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> found that solar lending made up only 5.6% of China\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/18db2e80-3571-11e7-bce4-9023f8c0fd2e\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">major commercial and policy banks<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2019 power generation and transmission portfolio from 2014 to 2017. However, for the two policy banks, that is up from practically zero investment prior to 2010.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><div class='cdo-shortcode--image'><iframe class=\"highcharts-iframe\" style=\"border: 0; width: 100%; height: 425px;\" src=\"https:\/\/cloud.highcharts.com\/embed\/qoBzMUtl1\/\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/div><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chinese companies have also started to invest in solar projects abroad, both in greenfield development and through mergers and acquisitions. Similar to the banks, solar only constituted 4% of companies\u2019 overseas investments from 2000 to 2017 according to a <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/gdp\/files\/2018\/12\/Li-Gallagher-Mauzerall-2018.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Princeton and Boston University study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, they started to <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/gdp\/files\/2018\/12\/Li-Gallagher-Mauzerall-2018.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pick up as of 2012<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Some of these renewable energy companies <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/book\/10.1002\/9781119199151\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">have been supported<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by the same large banks, which have given them significant lines of credit. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Policies pave the way<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alongside Argentina\u2019s strong relationship with China, Cauchari likely appealed to China Exim due to the RenovAR scheme.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/gdp\/files\/2018\/12\/Li-Gallagher-Mauzerall-2018.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Princeton and Boston University study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, investment in renewable energy projects by Chinese companies is concentrated in mature markets with strong renewable energy policies, such as the UK, Australia, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/DC-Solar-Report-v5-EN-1.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brazil<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and India. Building on China\u2019s domestic solar boom, Chinese banks and companies are <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chinadialogue.net\/article\/show\/single\/en\/11037-Can-solar-diplomacy-green-the-Belt-and-Road-\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">well equipped <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to serve these markets.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Technically everything is possible but if you don\u2019t have the support of the government, nothing will happen<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For banks, the policy environment can also have a strong influence on a project\u2019s feasibility. Last year, the China-led <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/stage.dialogochino.net\/11270-the-aiib-must-deliver-the-governance-to-match-its-rhetoric\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> made its <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chinadialogue.net\/article\/show\/single\/en\/10115-AIIB-invests-in-Egyptian-solar\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">first solar energy investment<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in a large solar park in Egypt. Maria del <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Carmen de Castro<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Ovejero<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a senior investment operations specialist and the bank\u2019s team leader for the Egypt project, said that the country\u2019s policy support for renewable energy enabled the project and the bank\u2019s participation. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cFrom my point of view as an engineer, technically everything is possible [&#8230;] but if you don\u2019t have the support of the government, nothing will happen,&#8221; she said. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iea.org\/policiesandmeasures\/pams\/argentina\/name-23911-en.php\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Argentina<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iea.org\/policiesandmeasures\/pams\/egypt\/name-131470-en.php\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Egypt has established<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a feed-in-tariff, guaranteeing developers a minimum price for the solar power they sell back to the grid. Bloomberg New Energy Finance<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/about.bnef.com\/new-energy-outlook\/#toc-download\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> found that <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">building wind and solar photovoltaic plants is already less expensive than building large-scale gas and coal plants. However, policies like Egypt\u2019s and Argentina\u2019s help the new energy industries break into the market and secure financing. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Barriers remain<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As renewable energy continues to become cheaper, will projects such as Cauchari replace China\u2019s conventional energy investments overseas? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In developing countries, technical issues continue to pose challenges for large-scale solar development. According to de Castro Ovejero, solar plants are technically simple and quick to develop but integrating plants into the grid can be difficult.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Solar is normally developed in very remote locations, so it is important that the grid connection is available in order to finance these projects. Grid stability is another issue, especially in developing countries,&#8221; she said.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The timeline might be slightly different, but in roughly 10 years, the cost of renewable generation plus storage per kilowatt hour will be on par with fossil fuels or even lower<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clearer renewable energy policies are also needed to drive Chinese investment. The <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/gdp\/files\/2018\/11\/GDP-and-WRI-BRI-MovingtheGreenbelt.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">WRI and Boston University study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> found that only 31 out of 56 countries analysed had concrete renewable energy targets in their Paris Agreement national climate plans.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even with targets, developing countries can lack the capacity to design and implement specific policies. Laurel Ostfield, head of communications and development for the AIIB, said that the bank has a special fund that can help countries fill that gap. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Fossil fuel inertia<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While Chinese banks and companies are making inroads in solar development globally, their overall energy investment portfolios remain heavily skewed toward fossil fuels. The WRI and Boston University study found that between 2014 and 2017, fossil fuel investments accounted for 91% of the energy loan portfolios of the six major banks studied. <\/span><\/p>\n<div class='block--pullout-stat block--pullout-stat--float cd-shortcode--factbox'>\n                <p class='block--pullout-stat__title'>91%<\/p>\n                <div class='block--pullout-stat__content'>\n                    <br \/>\nof six major Chinese banks' energy loans between 2014 and 2017 were for fossil fuels<br \/>\n\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lihuan Zhou, a research analyst at WRI who co-authored the study, said that the Chinese government could send clearer signals on renewables:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cCurrently there are several high level Chinese documents, for example issued by the State Council and the <a href=\"http:\/\/stage.dialogochino.net\/10837-china-reshapes-ministries-to-better-protect-environment\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ministry of Ecology and Environment<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. They have very high-level language on a vision for the green BRI, but on the more operational level there is a lack of policy or incentives for banks to provide green finance overseas.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"cdo-shortcode--image\"><div id=\"galleryControls-23623\" class=\"carousel slide\" data-ride=\"carousel\"><div class=\"carousel-inner\"><\/div><a class=\"carousel-control-prev\" href=\"#galleryControls-23623\" role=\"button\" data-slide=\"prev\"><span class=\"carousel-control-prev-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><span class=\"sr-only\">Previous<\/span><\/a><a class=\"carousel-control-next\" href=\"#galleryControls-23623\" role=\"button\" data-slide=\"next\"><span class=\"carousel-control-next-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><span class=\"sr-only\">Next<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meanwhile, the Chinese government, just <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/stage.dialogochino.net\/12495-fossil-fuels-distance-argentina-from-g20-goals\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">like the Argentine<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, is offering incentives for fossil fuel investment. Yuan Jiahai, a professor at the North China Electricity and Power University, said China\u2019s use of policy loans equates to invisible subsidies for overseas coal projects.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThese projects do not help these countries realise their climate goals and hurt China\u2019s interests in terms of international image and investment risk,\u201d he said, adding; \u201cTo be more constructive, China should trade the invisible subsidies for clear development aid to help Belt and Road countries launch renewable energy business development and drive the global energy investment transformation.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perhaps a product of the state\u2019s investment priorities, it is privately-owned enterprises that are leading China\u2019s overseas solar investment while state-owned enterprises remain focused on fossil fuel investment.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Solar forecast<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When workers lay the final Chinese panels at Cauchari, Argentina will take a leap closer to the renewable energy leaders in the region. Equipped with Chinese technology, developed by a Chinese contractor, and financed by one of China\u2019s largest banks, Cauchari also displays China Inc.\u2019s potential to dominate a new industry. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether China will fully embrace foreign solar markets in the near-term remains unclear, but Xiao Wang, an economist at the AIIB, sees the future reflected in the Chinese solar arrays now helping power nations from Egypt to Argentina:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe timeline might be slightly different, but in roughly 10 years, the cost of renewable generation plus storage per kilowatt hour will be on par with fossil fuel or even lower. So this is a clear direction to move in.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the northern Argentine province of Jujuy, at a dizzying 4,000 metres above sea level, red and blue banners inscribed with Chinese characters flap outside a temporary office perched on a barren desert. This is Cauchari, the site of Latin America\u2019s largest solar plant. Chinese technology and finance have enabled the project, which is part [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50000563,"featured_media":50023532,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[757],"tags":[17073,544,585,593],"hashtags":[],"country":[50000020,20000110],"class_list":["post-50023529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-energy","tag-energy-transition","tag-finance","tag-renewables","tag-solar","country-argentina","country-china"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v26.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>China builds Latin America\u2019s largest solar plant | Dialogue Earth<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What does Chinese-backed solar mega-project Cauchari in Argentina say about China\u2019s 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