Grenergy buys 1 GW of inverters from Ingeteam for Chile’s energy storage megaproject

Spanish companies Grenergy and Ingeteam have announced the signing of a supply deal for approximately 1 GW of inverters for the fourth and sixth phases of the $1.4 billion Oasis de Atacama project.

The order, for 298 units, comes on top of more than 2 GW worth of equipment supplied by the Spanish companies to date for the 2 GW solar and 11 GWh battery project. Grenergy and Ingeteam have already delivered 610 inverters, 410 batteries, and 200 photovoltaic units, all integrated into 305 energy transformation centers.

The first two phases of the megaproject, in northern Chile, are operational and the third is under construction.

Oasis de Atacama has secured around $968 million for its initial stages and holds power purchase agreements for 75% of the electricity to be supplied from phases one to four.

The “Gabriela” and “Elena,” fourth and sixth phases, respectively, which will feature Ingeteam inverters, are set to double the solar generation capacity, and almost treble the energy storage capacity present on the site.

The deployment of a power plant controller and grid forming inverter functions will enable the devices to operate as sychronous generators which can maintain grid electricity frequency on Chile’s national network and provide sufficient inertia to enable back-up energy sources to come online if needed.

Grenergy has sold the first three phases of the project to the ContourGlobal subsidiary of US private equity investor Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. for $962 million. The remaining phases are expected to come online next year.

Phases one and two comprise 221 MWp of solar with a 200 MW/1.2 GWh battery. The 231 MWp solar and 1.3 GWh battery third stage is set to be completed this year, several months ahead of schedule.

The developer has used multiple suppliers at the site, to reduce the risk of supply problems. China’s BYD Energy Storage signed a 3.5 GWh supply deal for the site last month – securing its biggest Latin American contract – while compatriot CATL had supplied 1.25 GWh of batteries for phase four of Oasis de Atacama in October.

Grenergy and Ingeteam have collaborated on more than 3.5 GW of renewables and energy storage projects in Spain, Mexico, and Colombia since 2016.

From pv magazine LatAm.