Atlas finances Chilean hybrid site with 320 MW storage

Atlas Renewable Energy has announced $475 million finance for development of the Copiapó Solar project, a 357 MW photovoltaic plant with a 320 MW/1.28 GWh storage system.

The project, planned in the Coquimbo and Atacama regions of northern Chile, will supply electricity to CAP Group’s operations through 15-year power purchase agreements (PPAs).

The storage system will supply energy in periods of greatest demand, ensuring continuity of supply to the mining sector.

It is estimated Copiapó Solar will generate around 750 GWh per year and that it will come into operation in 2026.

Atlas has now secured more than $1.2 billion for Chilean projects in the last 13 months. The latest package was structured by BBVA, Banco de Crédito e Inversiones, Crédit Agricole CIB, Natixis, SMBC, and Société Générale.

Atlas in April signed a PPA with Colbún for a 230 MW/920 MWh standalone battery energy storage system (BESS) in the Antofagasta region which will supply up to 335 GWh per year, equivalent to the electricity consumption of approximately 140,000 homes. The company inaugurated the 200 MW/800 MWh BESS del Desierto site in María Elena, Antofagasta, in April, describing it as the first large-scale standalone storage plant in the region.

A busy April also saw Atlas announce a record $510 million package for the BESS Estepa, 215 MW solar and 418 MW energy storage project in Antofagasta. Supply from that site will be backed by contracts with Codelco and Colbún.

Those deals came after Atlas signed a 450 GWh-per-year supply contract with CAP Group in December.

Atlas is already operating 3,636 MW of projects as part of an 8.4 GW portfolio it is developing in Latin America. The company has 1.5 GW of contracted projects in Chile and operates big solar sites Javiera, in the Atacama (with 69 MW of generation capacity); Quilapilún, in the Metropolitan region (127 MW); and Sol del Desierto; in Antofagasta (230 MW).

The company is constructing the 200 MW/800 MWh BESS del Desierto storage site.

From pv magazine LatAm.