Are battery energy storage systems a viable alternative for Chilean power producers?

With transmission lines at overcapacity and permitting delays slowing the development of new grid infrastructure, battery energy storage systems (BESS) have surged as a profitable alternative for Chilean power producers.

How much does a battery cost in Chile?

In fact, batteries charged at nearly $0/MWh during the day in the sunny, northern desert regions of Chile, sell energy at night for over $100/MWh. Although projects such as Engie’s BESS Coya are already enjoying these large spreads, this capacity payment will partially de-risk Chile’s dependence on volatile, but still profitable, merchant revenues.

Do Chilean co-located storage assets need an environmental impact statement?

Since Chilean co-located storage assets don’t require an Environmental Impact Statement (known locally as the DIA), development times for storage assets have been cut in half compared to solar or wind assets.

How many Bess projects are there in Chile?

This momentum is reflected in the data: AMI estimates that there is a 7.7 GW pipeline of BESS projects in Chile, far and away the most advanced front of the meter (FTM) storage market in Latin America. 1 Only 505 MW of BESS projects are currently operational in the entire region.

Will new solar assets in Chile have storage components?

New utility-scale renewable and PMGE assets in Chile (most of which are distributed solar plants smaller than 9 MW) will likely all have storage components moving forward.