Nature of the business, Concessional assets owned (Details) $ in Thousands, € in Millions		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Jul. 14, 2020 EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Project debt		$ 5,237,614		$ 4,852,348	$ 5,091,114
ACT [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type		Efficient natural gas
Ownership		100.00%
Location		Mexico
Currency	[1]	USD
Capacity (gross)		300 MW
Counterparty credit ratings	[2]	BBB/ Ba2/BB-
COD		2013
Contract years left	[3]	12 years
Monterrey [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type		Efficient natural gas
Ownership		30.00%
Location		Mexico
Currency	[1]	USD
Capacity (gross)		142 MW
Counterparty credit ratings	[2]	Not rated
COD		2018
Contract years left	[3]	18 years
ATN [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type	[4]	Transmission line
Ownership	[4]	100.00%
Location	[4]	Peru
Currency	[1],[4]	USD
Capacity (gross)	[4]	379 miles
Counterparty credit ratings	[2],[4]	BBB+/A3/BBB+
COD	[4]	2011
Contract years left	[3],[4]	20 years
ATS [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type		Transmission line
Ownership		100.00%
Location		Peru
Currency	[1]	USD
Capacity (gross)		569 miles
Counterparty credit ratings	[2]	BBB+/A3/BBB+
COD		2014
Contract years left	[3]	23 years
ATN2 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type		Transmission line
Ownership		100.00%
Location		Peru
Currency	[1]	USD
Capacity (gross)		81 miles
Counterparty credit ratings	[2]	Not rated
COD		2015
Contract years left	[3]	12 years
Quadra 1 & 2 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type		Transmission line
Ownership		100.00%
Location		Chile
Currency	[1]	USD
Capacity (gross)		49 miles/32 miles
Counterparty credit ratings	[2]	Not rated
COD		2014
Quadra 1 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Contract years left	[3]	14 years
Quadra 2 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Contract years left	[3]	14 years
Palmucho [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type		Transmission line
Ownership		100.00%
Location		Chile
Currency	[1]	USD
Capacity (gross)		6 miles
Counterparty credit ratings	[2]	BBB+/Baa1/A-
COD		2007
Contract years left	[3]	17 years
Chile TL3 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type		Transmission line
Ownership		100.00%
Location		Chile
Currency	[1]	USD
Capacity (gross)		50 miles
Counterparty credit ratings	[2]	A+/A1/A-
COD		1993
Skikda [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type		Water
Ownership	[5]	34.20%
Location		Algeria
Currency	[1]	USD
Capacity (gross)		3.5 M ft3/day
Counterparty credit ratings	[2]	Not rated
COD		2009
Contract years left	[3]	13 years
Skikda [Member] | Algerian Energy Company, SPA [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Percentage of non-controlling interests		49.00%
Skikda [Member] | Sadyt [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Percentage of non-controlling interests		16.83%
Honaine [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type		Water
Ownership	[6]	25.50%
Location		Algeria
Currency	[1]	USD
Capacity (gross)		7 M ft3/day
Counterparty credit ratings	[2]	Not rated
COD		2012
Contract years left	[3]	17 years
Honaine [Member] | Algerian Energy Company, SPA [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Percentage of non-controlling interests		49.00%
Honaine [Member] | Sadyt [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Percentage of non-controlling interests		25.50%
Tenes [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type		Water
Ownership	[7]	51.00%
Location		Algeria
Currency	[1]	USD
Capacity (gross)		7 M ft3/day
Counterparty credit ratings	[2]	Not rated
COD		2015
Contract years left	[3]	19 years
Tenes [Member] | Algerian Energy Company, SPA [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Percentage of non-controlling interests		49.00%
PS10 & PS20 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type		Renewable (Solar)
Ownership		100.00%
Location		Spain
Currency	[1]	Euro
Capacity (gross)		31 MW
Counterparty credit ratings	[2]	A/Baa1/A-
COD		2007 & 2009
PS10 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Contract years left	[3]	11 years
PS20 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Contract years left	[3]	13 years
Solana [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type		Renewable (Solar)
Ownership		100.00%
Location		Arizona (USA)
Currency	[1]	USD
Capacity (gross)		280 MW
Counterparty credit ratings	[2]	A-/A2/A-
COD		2013
Contract years left	[3]	23 years
Mojave [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type		Renewable (Solar)
Ownership		100.00%
Location		California (USA)
Currency	[1]	USD
Capacity (gross)		280 MW
Counterparty credit ratings	[2]	BB-/WR/BB
COD		2014
Contract years left	[3]	19 years
Solaben 2 & 3 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type		Renewable (Solar)
Ownership	[8]	70.00%
Location		Spain
Currency	[1]	Euro
Capacity (gross)		2x50 MW
Counterparty credit ratings	[2]	A/Baa1/A-
COD		2012
Solaben 2 & 3 [Member] | Itochu Corporation [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Percentage of non-controlling interests		30.00%
Solaben 2 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Contract years left	[3]	17 years
Solaben 3 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Contract years left	[3]	16 years
Solacor 1 & 2 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type		Renewable (Solar)
Ownership	[9]	87.00%
Location		Spain
Currency	[1]	Euro
Capacity (gross)		2x50 MW
Counterparty credit ratings	[2]	A/Baa1/A-
COD		2012
Solacor 1 & 2 [Member] | JGC [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Percentage of non-controlling interests		13.00%
Solacor 1 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Contract years left	[3]	16 years
Solacor 2 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Contract years left	[3]	16 years
Helioenergy 1 & 2 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type		Renewable (Solar)
Ownership		100.00%
Location		Spain
Currency	[1]	Euro
Capacity (gross)		2x50 MW
Counterparty credit ratings	[2]	A/Baa1/A-
COD		2011
Helioenergy 1 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Contract years left	[3]	16 years
Helioenergy 2 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Contract years left	[3]	16 years
Helios 1 & 2 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type		Renewable (Solar)
Ownership		100.00%
Location		Spain
Currency	[1]	Euro
Capacity (gross)		2x50 MW
Counterparty credit ratings	[2]	A/Baa1/A-
COD		2012
Project debt | €			€ 326
Helios 1 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Contract years left	[3]	16 years
Helios 2 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Contract years left	[3]	17 years
Solnova 1, 3 & 4 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type		Renewable (Solar)
Ownership		100.00%
Location		Spain
Currency	[1]	Euro
Capacity (gross)		3x50 MW
Counterparty credit ratings	[2]	A/Baa1/A-
COD		2010
Solnova 1 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Contract years left	[3]	14 years
Solnova 3 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Contract years left	[3]	14 years
Solnova 4 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Contract years left	[3]	15 years
Solaben 1 & 6 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type		Renewable (Solar)
Ownership		100.00%
Location		Spain
Currency	[1]	Euro
Capacity (gross)		2x50 MW
Counterparty credit ratings	[2]	A/Baa1/A-
COD		2013
Solaben 1 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Contract years left	[3]	18 years
Solaben 6 [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Contract years left	[3]	18 years
Seville PV [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type		Renewable (Solar)
Ownership	[10]	80.00%
Location		Spain
Currency	[1]	Euro
Capacity (gross)		1 MW
Counterparty credit ratings	[2]	A/Baa1/A-
COD		2006
Contract years left	[3]	15 years
Seville PV [Member] | Idae [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Percentage of non-controlling interests		20.00%
Kaxu [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type		Renewable (Solar)
Ownership	[11]	51.00%
Location		South Africa
Currency	[1]	Rand
Capacity (gross)		100 MW
Counterparty credit ratings	[2],[12]	BB-/Ba2/BB-
COD		2015
Contract years left	[3]	14 years
Project debt		$ 355,000
Kaxu [Member] | IDC [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Percentage of non-controlling interests		29.00%
Kaxu [Member] | Kaxu Community Trust [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Percentage of non-controlling interests		20.00%
Palmatir [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type		Renewable (Wind)
Ownership		100.00%
Location		Uruguay
Currency	[1]	USD
Capacity (gross)		50 MW
Counterparty credit ratings	[2],[13]	BBB/Baa2/BBB-
COD		2014
Contract years left	[3]	13 years
Cadonal [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type		Renewable (Wind)
Ownership		100.00%
Location		Uruguay
Currency	[1]	USD
Capacity (gross)		50 MW
Counterparty credit ratings	[2],[13]	BBB/Baa2/BBB-
COD		2014
Contract years left	[3]	14 years
Melowind [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type		Renewable (Wind)
Ownership		100.00%
Location		Uruguay
Currency	[1]	USD
Capacity (gross)		50 MW
Counterparty credit ratings	[2]	BBB/Baa2/BBB-
COD		2015
Contract years left	[3]	15 years
Mini-Hydro [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type		Renewable (Hydraulic)
Ownership		100.00%
Location		Peru
Currency	[1]	USD
Capacity (gross)		4 MW
Counterparty credit ratings	[2]	BBB+/A3/ BBB+
COD		2012
Contract years left	[3]	12 years
Chile PV I [Member]
Nature of the business [Abstract]
Type		Renewable (Solar)
Ownership	[14]	35.00%
Location		Chile
Currency	[1]	USD
Capacity (gross)		55 MW
Counterparty credit ratings	[2]	N/A
COD		2016
Percentage of non-controlling interests		65.00%

[1] Certain contracts denominated in U.S. dollars are payable in local currency.

[2] Reflects the counterparty's credit ratings issued by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, or S&P, Moody's Investors Service Inc., or Moody's, and Fitch Ratings Ltd, or Fitch.

[3] As of December 31, 2020.

[4] Including the acquisition of ATN Expansion 1 & 2.

[5] Algerian Energy Company, SPA owns 49% of Skikda and Sacyr Agua, S.L. owns the remaining 16.83%.

[6] Algerian Energy Company, SPA owns 49% of Honaine and Sacyr Agua, S.L. owns the remaining 25.5%.

[7] Algerian Energy Company, SPA owns 49% of Tenes.

[8] Itochu Corporation, a Japanese trading company, holds 30% of the shares in each of Solaben 2 and Solaben 3.

[9] JGC, a Japanese engineering company, holds 13% of the shares in each of Solacor 1 and Solacor 2.

[10] Instituto para la Diversificacion y Ahorro de la Energia ("Idae"), a Spanish state-owned company, holds 20% of the shares in Seville PV.

[11] Kaxu is owned by the Company (51%), Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa (29%) and Kaxu Community Trust (20%).

[12] Refers to the credit rating of the Republic of South Africa. The offtaker is Eskom, which is a state-owned utility company in South Africa.

[13] Refers to the credit rating of Uruguay, as UTE (Administracion Nacional de Usinas y Transmisoras Electricas) is unrated.

[14] 65% of the shares in Chile PV I is indirectly held by financial partners through the renewable energy platform of the Company in Chile.