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.

Grenergy has raised financing for the fourth phase of a solar-plus-storage project in Chile set to feature 11GWh of battery storage capacity when completed.

Last week (7 November) saw bids opened for a 75MW/300MWh BESS tender launched by the government of Honduras, in Central America.

IPP Innergex and system integrator Prevalon Energy have agreed to nearly double the capacity of BESS capacity at two sites in Chile with existing operational facilities.

Spanish independent power producer (IPP) Grenergy has secured a 1.25GWh energy storage supply agreement with CATL for its Oasis de Atacama project in Chile.

The South American Andes regional arm of utility and IPP AES has started commercial operations on a project in Chile pairing 211MW of solar and a 130MW/650MWh BESS.

IPP Genera PR has chosen Tesla to provide the BESS technology for a 430MW/1,720MWh pipeline of projects in Puerto Rico, set to enter commercial operations at the end of 2025.

A lack of regulation and policy regarding BESS is challenging the growth of the technology in Latin America and the Caribbean.