AustriaEnergy targets 2,160 MWh solar plus storage project in Chile with environmental submission

AustriaEnergy Chile Nueve has filed the Environmental Impact Study (EIA) for its Sol de Algarrobal project – a large-scale hybrid energy development combining 390.7 MW of solar PV capacity, along with a 450 MW / 2,160 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) – to Chile’s SEIA in early July 2025.

The proposed project, located in the Atacama region, is budgeted at US$585 million and will involve the construction and operation of a solar plant with storage. Some 583,200 bifacial photovoltaic modules, each rated at 670 Wp, for a nominal capacity of 390.7 MWp, will be installed. Energy generated will be stored onsite, with limited details surrounding the energy storage plans for now, and dispatched via a 220 kV High Voltage Transmission Line into the National Electric System (SEN) through the Algarrobal substation, which is owned by Engie Energia Chile. 

Formally accepted for review under Exempt Resolution No. 202503001102 (Resolution Exenta No. 2025030011022), the EIA met Chile’s regulatory requirements and now enters a detailed assessment phase. It is underpinned by extensive baseline studies covering air, water, soil, and the surrounding districts of Moquehua, San Antonio, and El Algarroval. 

AustriaEnergy’s project aims to tap into the strong solar resources of Chile’s Atacama region to produce clean, non-conventional renewable energy, supporting decarbonization efforts. 

Despite the project’s alignment with Chile’s 2030 goal of 80% renewable energy and 2050 net-zero targets, the EIA process presents a significant near-term hurdle. An example of this was the 460 million Las Cunas PV project, which was initially terminated by SEIA in August 2024 due to insufficient data on protected vegetation, before later being approved.