On South America's Largest Solar Farm, Chinese Power Radiates

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23 April 2019 20:05 WIB

An overview of Cauchari Solar Facility in Olacapato Grande, Argentina is seen in this Maxar GeoEye-1 satellite image taken on April 13, 2019. Image taken on April 13, 2019. In an arid, lunar-like landscape in the sunny highlands of northern Argentina, South America's largest solar farm is rising, powered by funding and technology from China. Courtesy Satellite image 2019 Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS

23 April 2019 00:00 WIB

Guillermo Giralt, technical director of Cauchari Solar, stands next to solar panels at a solar farm, built on the back of funding and technology from China, in Salar de Cauchari, Argentina, April 3, 2019. Picture taken April 3, 2019. Local officials said they had sought help at home, the United States and Europe without success. Potential lenders and partners, they said, were spooked by the project's size and the fiscal woes of Jujuy province, one of the poorest in the country. REUTERS/Miguel Lobianco

23 April 2019 00:00 WIB

A view of the main logistics base at Cauchari Solar Facility in Olacapato Grande, Argentina is seen in this Maxar GeoEye-1 satellite image taken on April 13, 2019. Image taken on April 13, 2019. The Import-Export Bank of China saw it differently. The state-funded institution financed 85 percent of the project's nearly $400-million pricetag. At 3 percent annual interest over 15 years, it is "cheap money" for Jujuy, a person familiar with the terms said. The catch: the province had to purchase nearly 80 percent of the materials from Chinese suppliers. Courtesy Satellite image 2019 Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS

23 April 2019 00:00 WIB

An overview of Cauchari Solar Facility in Olacapato Grande, Argentina is seen in this Maxar GeoEye-1 satellite image taken on April 13, 2019. Image taken on April 13, 2019. Those companies include Huawei Technologies, the Chinese telecom giant under fire from U.S. President Donald Trump. Some in his administration have concluded, without presenting evidence, that Huawei's equipment provides the Chinese military with a "backdoor" to spy on users or cripple their networks. In Jujuy, the company is supplying inverters, technology that turns power from solar panels into useable current and serves as a critical gateway to the electrical grid. Courtesy Satellite image 2019 Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS

23 April 2019 00:00 WIB

A view of power substation at Cauchari Solar Facility in Olacapato Grande, Argentina is seen in this Maxar GeoEye-1 satellite image taken on April 13, 2019. Image taken on April 13, 2019. The project, known as Cauchari, is a testament to the rising clout of Beijing as a backer of big projects in cash-strapped emerging markets. And it is helping China cement its standing as the world's leader in clean-energy technology. Courtesy Satellite image 2019 Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS

23 April 2019 00:00 WIB

Early stages of construction at Cauchari Solar Facility in Olacapato Grande, Argentina is seen in this Copernicus Sentinel 2 satellite image taken on October 8, 2017. Image taken on October 8, 2017. At a time when Trump is doubling down on fossil fuels and withdrawing the United States from global partnerships, Chinese President Xi Jinping's sprawling "Belt and Road" initiative aims to put Chinese companies and innovation at the center of infrastructure development worldwide, including next-generation power sources. Courtesy Satellite image 2019 Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS

23 April 2019 00:00 WIB