Atlas Renewable Energy eyeing Q3 construction launch for Chile battery project

Clean power company Atlas Renewable Energy expects to break ground on a Chilean energy storage project in Q3, BNamericas was told.

The Antofagasta region project, with 230MW of capacity and four-hour injection duration, will supply electricity to generator Colbún under a 15-year purchase agreement. Colbún, in turn, will supply the clean power to its clients.

The project, in the tendering phase, was incorporated into the Atlas solar PV park Estepa, where construction is due to start this quarter. 

"The project has been environmentally approved, through optimizations made via the letter of pertinence route that incorporated the storage system into the original PV Estepa project," Atlas told BNamericas.

Via letters of pertinence, project owners can ask environmental review agency SEA whether a project or amendment needs to be submitted for evaluation.

The storage system will inject power via the 220kV Crucero substation and is due to begin commercial operations in 2027.

The Colbún agreement reaffirms Atlas' "commitment to the development of innovative solutions for a more efficient and sustainable energy transition for Chile," Alfredo Solar, Atlas Renewable Energy regional manager for Chile and the Southern Cone, said in a statement on Tuesday announcing the project.

"This BESS project, which is the second of its kind developed by Atlas in the region, adds to our portfolio of storage plants at different stages, allowing us to optimize the use of renewable energy, ensuring its availability during peak demand periods, and strengthening the reliability of the national electric system."

"To consolidate a responsible energy transition, as a country, we need to have storage systems that address the intermittency of renewable energy sources. The agreement we are signing today is an important step in this direction, which will complement other battery projects by Colbún and our hydroelectric reservoirs, which have historically also played a significant role in energy storage," Colbún CEO José Ignacio Escobar said

US-headquartered Atlas is building, for a contract with energy trader EMOAC, the 200MW/800MWh BESS del Desierto storage project, also in Antofagasta. 

Atlas, which has three utility-scale solar parks in operation in Chile – Javiera (161GWh/y), Quilapilún (243 GWh/y) and Sol del Desierto (714 GWh/y) – has also been awarded contracts to supply Chilean mining and steel group CAP and state-owned copper giant Codelco, BNamericas reported in 2024.

Colbún has over 5GW of capacity across 29 generation plants.

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