Colbún starts construction of 912 MWh Tesla battery in Chile

Domestic energy company Colbún has started construction of the 228 MW/912 MWh Celda Solar energy storage project in the commune of Camarones, in the Arica and Parinacota region of Chile.
Colbún said its first large-scale energy storage system will cost $260 million and cover 10 hectares with batteries, an electrical substation, and associated buildings.
The utility announced, in December 2024, a deal to acquire Tesla Megapacks for the site, each of which can store more than 3.9 MWh of energy.
Celda Solar is expected to be operational in mid-2026, when it will have the capacity to supply enough electricity to power 55,480 homes. During peak construction, the site will require 200 direct and indirect jobs.
The project also includes construction of a step-up substation and a 3.5 km, 220 kV high voltage line to be connected to the Roncacho sectioning substation owned by Engie Energía Chile SA.
Colbún expects to complete 1.5 GW of solar, wind, and energy storage projects by 2026. Its portfolio includes the 230 MW Diego de Almagro Sur solar park, which also features 8 MW/32 MWh of batteries; the recently acquired San Juan and Totoral wind farms (which have a total generation capacity of 239 MW); and the soon-to-be-completed, 816 MW Horizonte wind project.
From pv magazine LatAm.