Engie Chile commissions 25 MW/150 MWh standalone battery project

Engie Chile has begun commercial operation of the 25 MW/150 MWh BESS Arica battery energy storage system in Chile’s Arica and Parinacota region.

Chile’s National Electricity Coordinator authorized commercial operation of the standalone battery project on June 25. The system, which required an investment of about $50 million, is connected to the country’s National Electric System.

Unlike co-located battery projects, BESS Arica is connected directly to Engie Chile’s Arica substation. The company said the system will store excess solar generation during periods of high output and discharge electricity during the evening and other periods of higher demand.

The installation comprises 36 lithium-ion battery containers and nine power conversion system units, providing up to six hours of discharge at rated power.

Engie said the system can supply enough electricity over five hours to meet the consumption of more than 18,000 households. The company added that the project will strengthen the local transmission network and support the retirement of higher-emission generation assets.

The commercial operating capacity is lower than previously announced during construction. Engie said in December 2025 that BESS Arica would have a capacity of 34 MW/170 MWh, while later references listed the project at 30 MW. The company now reports an installed capacity of 25 MW/150 MWh.

BESS Arica is the second Engie battery storage project to enter commercial operation in Chile this year, following the commissioning of the 116 MW/660 MWh BESS Tocopilla project in February. The company has also developed the 139 MW/638 MWh BESS Coya, 68 MW/418 MWh BESS Tamaya, and 48 MW/264 MWh BESS Capricornio projects in Chile.

The project expands on a 2 MW/2 MWh pilot battery storage system that Engie commissioned at the same substation in 2018, one of the first battery storage projects deployed in northern Chile.

From pv magazine LatAm