ContourGlobal South America chief talks Grenergy acquisitions, next steps

London-headquartered ContourGlobal is working to become a predominantly renewable independent power producer by 2030, and as part of the strategy the company has entered the Chilean market via a US$962mn acquisition of three phases of Grenergy's Oasis de Atacama solar PV-storage project, the biggest of its kind in the world.

ContourGlobal, which also recently issued more than US$1bn in green bonds, obtained Quillagua I (103MW solar PV, operational), Quillagua II (118MW solar PV-1.2GWh BESS, COD 3Q25) and Víctor Jara (230MW solar PV-1.3GWh BESS, COD early 2026).

Once fully operational, the portfolio will generate nearly 1,300GWh/y and benefit from a 15-year, fixed-price overnight power purchase agreement (PPA).

The deal – which accounts for around 23% of Oasis de Atacama – includes EPC services to be provided by Grenergy, which has already established strategic agreements for critical equipment supply, including batteries. 

To find out more, BNamericas speaks with James Stancampiano, South America CEO at ContourGlobal.

BNamericas: Can you tell us who the PPA is with or indicate the type of offtaker, whether it's a utility, trader, industrial user?

Stancampiano: Due to confidentiality agreements, we are unable to disclose the identity of the offtaker. However, we can confirm that the PPA is with a trader. 

BNamericas: What trends do you see in terms of industrial sector demand for clean power 24/7 in Chile? 

Stancampiano: The industrial sector in Chile is increasingly looking for sustainable, renewable, and reliable solutions to meet its 24/7 clean power demand. A key trend emerging in this space is the hybridization of solar and wind power plants, combined with the latest advancements in long-duration battery energy storage systems (BESS). 

This integrated approach has the potential to be a true game changer, enabling industrial customers to access competitive and fully renewable energy supply. By leveraging complementary generation profiles and storage technologies, these hybrid solutions can provide greater reliability, optimize energy costs and reduce carbon footprints.

BNamericas: What are your next steps in Chile?

Stancampiano: We are progressing towards the imminent start of commercial operation of our Quillagua hybrid plant in Antofagasta, which consists of 221MWp of solar PV and a 1.2GWh BESS, capable of delivering 200MW over 6.2 hours. 

Following this milestone, we will move forward with the construction of its sister plant, Víctor Jara, located in Tarapacá, adding 231MWp of solar PV coupled with an even larger 1.5GWh battery system, 200MW over 6.5 hours. These two projects combined will create the largest solar and storage project in Chile and in South America.

At the same time, we are actively identifying new investment opportunities to further strengthen our presence in Chile. We remain committed to a balanced and diversified generation portfolio, both in terms of technologies and geographical locations.

BNamericas: What types of projects – technology, stage of development, etc. – in Chile interest the company the most and why?

Stancampiano: Our primary focus in Chile is on solar + BESS and wind technologies, as these technologies align with the country's energy transition goals and help address the challenges of integrating renewable energy into the grid, particularly during peak demand hours.

We are particularly interested in projects at various stages of development, from greenfield opportunities to late-stage developments.