For its San Carlos de Apoquindo stadium near Santiago, Club Deportivo Universidad Católica – one Chile’s leading premier league soccer teams – wanted to attain an important sustainability goal: build the country’s first, 100% renewables-powered sports venue that could provide spectators with emissions-free, dazzling sport.
Shining a (renewable) light on Chile’s Primera División
To turn this dream into reality Cruzados SADB - a professional sporting company that leases the San Carlos de Apoquindo stadium on behalf of its owner - signed a partnership deal with Enel X and Enel Generación Chile. Together the partners will create what will be the country’s first 100% sustainable sports arena, powered exclusively by renewables. In turning to Enel, Cruzados found a one-stop-shop partner that could handle all aspects of the project, which will be inaugurated in August 2024. Among other aspects, the agreement includes the integration of diverse solutions that will directly benefit sporting events and their spectators, like energy efficient lighting and electric car charging stations.
Transforming solar megawatts into mega-thrills for fans
As part of the contract with Cruzados, Enel X will build a self-generation plant for renewable energy that will be able to fully cover six soccer matches per month. The electricity will be generated by a 350MWh photovoltaic system, composed of 400 high quality panels covering the stadium grandstand. The remaining energy needs – 2.4 GWh per year – will be met through a contract for the supply of certified, 100% renewable electricity. This electricity will come from Enel Group's solar, wind, hydro or geothermal plants.
The contract will span six years, making the Universidad Católica stadium the first in Chile to be powered by 100% clean energy. The new infrastructure will allow the stadium to cut its CO₂ emissions by approximately 1,700 tons, an amount similar to the savings generated by each year planting 97,600 trees or taking 565 cars off the road and equal to the emissions associated with the energy consumption of 319 homes.
Additional value-added services that make guests happier
Finally – but no less important – the project calls for the creation of an advanced architectural lighting solution that will decoratively illuminate the San Carlos stadium façade as well as for the deployment of tools that enable monitoring real-time energy consumption. Commenting on the partnership, Enel Chile CEO Fabrizio Barderi remarked: “For the Enel Group, through its subsidiaries Enel Generación Chile and Enel X, it is an honor to partner with one of the most important sports institutions in the country. We are developing a unique energy project in Chile at the service of its sports.”
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