“Through a collaboration between SQM Yodo Nutrición Vegetal and ENGIE, 43 students from Colegio Sagrada Familia de Tocopilla (COSAFA) visited SQM’s Coya Sur operations and ENGIE Chile’s PV Coya Photovoltaic Park and BESS Coya.
During the visit, students gained in-depth knowledge of the production processes of both companies, enhancing their understanding of clean energy and the production of potassium nitrate and plant nutrition.
Leonor González, Head of Community Relations Pampa at SQM Yodo Nutrición Vegetal, emphasized the significance of this initiative: “This opportunity is highly relevant as through this educational program, we demonstrate our shared social values with communities, in this case with COSAFA, by bringing industry closer to educational institutions and enriching their learning processes.”
Felipe Álvarez, O&M Renewable Energy Manager at ENGIE Chile, stated, “We are delighted to have welcomed the students, who had the opportunity to visit our photovoltaic park combining solar energy with battery energy storage, the largest operational facility of its kind in Latin America.”
The visit also included a guided heritage tour led by students from the local basic school in María Elena, members of the municipality’s heritage rescue academy, supported by SQM Yodo Nutrición Vegetal.
During their visit to Coya Sur, students toured the processing laboratory and the Pilot Plant laboratory. They also enjoyed a panoramic view of all processes from the observation point at the mining site.
At ENGIE, they explored the Photovoltaic Park and the innovative battery energy storage system known as BESS Coya, consisting of 232 containers with an installed capacity of 139 MW/638 MWh.
Nicolás Espinoza, one of the participating students, commented, “I learned a lot about the significant aspects here. I particularly enjoyed the talks we received.”
Helany Mora, another COSAFA student, added, “It was a very pleasant experience that everyone should live. It’s really nice, and you learn a lot, as long as you pay attention to the details provided by the instructors.”
Finally, Roberto Bórquez, the rector of COSAFA, remarked, “For us, as Colegio Bicentenario Sagrada Familia, this was a very relevant and important opportunity provided by SQM and Engie. Visiting María Elena, Coya Sur, and Engie’s photovoltaic plant allowed us to gain detailed insights into nitrate processes and renewable energies.”
