Chile’s 900 MWh Kronos storage project enters environmental assessment

Greek company Metlen Group has submitted its Kronos Energy Storage System and Transmission Line project to Chile’s Environmental Impact Assessment System (SEIA).

The $137 million project, in Vallenar, in the Atacama region, comprises 180 MW/900 MWh of lithium-ion batteries to be connected to the National Electric System via the Agua Amarga substation.

Construction of Kronos is set to begin on Nov. 30, 2026, with operations to start in November 2027.

The 35-year facility would employ a projected average of 103 people during construction – with a peak construction workforce of up to 200; five staff during operation; and 23 to 68 people during decommissioning.

Metlen operates several Chilean solar sites and has signed engineering, procurement, and construction contracts for storage projects.

Metlen’s 200 MW, $145 million Gaia storage project, also in the Atacama, entered the environmental permitting process last month and the company submitted its $290 million Los Boldos solar-plus-storage site to the SEIA in April. That project, in the Valparaíso region, would feature a 252 MW/1,236 MWh battery energy storage system alongside 300 MW of solar generation capacity.

From pv magazine LatAm.