Chile is leading Latin America’s wave of energy storage adoption, closely linked to its embrace of solar PV.

AES Andes, part of the US-based energy giant AES, has launched construction on two hybrid renewables-plus-storage projects in Chile with 2.2GWh of co-located BESS.

Argentina has received more than 1.3GW of energy storage applications for its first battery energy storage system (BESS) tender.

Spanish developer and independent power producer (IPP) Zelestra has reached financial close for its hybrid 1GWh BESS and solar PV plant in Chile.

Utility and independent power producer (IPP) Engie has started commercial operations of its 48MW/264MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) Capricornio project in the northern region of Antofagasta, Chile.

Developer and independent power producer (IPP) Zelestra has ordered 1GWh of BESS technology plus PCS equipment from Sungrow for a project in Chile.

Atlas Renewable Energy has inaugurated a 200MW/800MWh BESS project in Chile, which it claimed is the ‘first large-scale standalone BESS’ in the country and the wider Latin American region.

A trio of major announcements in the grid-scale BESS market in Chile, with Canadian Solar winning a delivery contract from Colbun, Metlen Energy & Metals selling a solar-plus-storage portfolio to Glenfarne, and Atlas Renewable Energy securing financing for a project.

The first two phases of Latin America’s ‘biggest’ solar-plus-storage project, Oasis de Atacama, have been commissioned in Antofagasta, Chile.

Grid constraints have prevented Chile from maximising the potential of its world-class solar resources. Energy storage has, therefore, become a necessity to ensure the financial viability of PV projects.