Chile already halfway to 2 GW energy storage target

The energy storage boom in Chile has been illustrated by the latest “Report on Projects Under Construction and Investment in the Energy Sector,” published by the Ministry of Energy.

The study tracked 954 MW of operational energy storage capacity by the end of March, 48% of the national goal of hitting 2 GW by 2030. That landmark is set to be reached by January, according to ministry projections.

Detail

The ministry report included details of four grid-connected lithium-ion battery energy storage systems which were in the testing phase by the end of March. Those were Grenergy’s 95 MW/586 MWh Quillagua I PFV site, in María Elena, Antofagasta; Engie’s 48 MW/264.2 MWh PFV Capricornio project, also in Antofagasta; WEG Capital’s 60.5 MW/121 MWh PFV María Elena facility, in the aforementioned Antofagasta commune; and Pacific Hydro’s 3 MW/6 MWh PE Punta Sierra pilot BESS in Ovalle, Coquimbo.

A dozen grid-connected lithium-ion BESS sites were under construction at the end of last month, with a total scale of 1.68 GW/6,122 MWh and representing $2.14 billion of investment.

The report also indicated Chile’s Environmental Impact Assessment Service is handling requests for 37 energy storage sites with a total volume of 6,321 MW/31,768 MWh and an investment value of $6.58 billion. Of those, two projects – with 400 MW/2 GWh of capacity, and worth $538 million – have been approved for processing and one 8 MW/40 MWh, $45 million facility had been approved.

From pv magazine LatAm.