Construction of renewable energy and storage projects advances in the Antofagasta region

By Engie Energía Chile
July 2, 2024

This is a machine translation of the original release issued in Spanish.

In accordance with its purpose of accelerating the energy transition, ENGIE announced progress in three of its projects currently under construction in Chile: the Lomas de Taltal Wind Farm and the battery-based energy storage systems BESS Tamaya and BESS Capricornio.

Juan Villavicencio, Managing Director Renewable of ENGIE Chile, commented that: “We currently have 2.6 GW of installed capacity, of which 900 MW correspond to renewable energy. Our ambition is to reach 2 GW in 2028. To meet this goal, we are making an investment that amounts to US$1.8 billion in the development of renewable energy sources and storage that help us have an increasingly cleaner energy matrix.”

Lomas de Taltal Wind Farm

Once it comes into operation, the Lomas de Taltal Wind Farm project will contribute 342 MW of energy to the National Electric System, making it the company's largest renewable generation asset in Chile.

Currently, the manufacturing of the 57 wind turbines has been completed, of which 16 are already installed. In addition, it is in the final stage of construction of the substation and transmission line, which are expected to be energized in the coming weeks. In this way, the park is already 75% complete.

BESS Tamaya

Within its strategy, ENGIE is developing and building storage system projects based on Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) technology. One of them is BESS Tamaya (68MW/418 MWh), which is located where the company's former diesel plant formerly operated, thus giving a new life to the site.

Through 152 containers, this park will store the energy generated by the Tamaya Solar Plant (114 MWac), also owned by the company.

Today, BESS Tamaya registers 60% progress. Among its main achievements in the construction stage are 100% assembly of the prefabricated foundations and 100% assembly of the batteries. Now among the next steps is the assembly and connection of electrical rooms and the beginning of the cold commissioning phase.

BESS Capricorn

In the case of BESS Capricornio (48 MW/264 MWh), which is located in the Capricornio Solar Plant (88 MWac) -also owned by the company- its construction began in February of this year.

The project is in the civil and electrical works stage and has a general progress of 30%. The installation of the works and the assembly of the prefabricated foundations of the batteries have already been completed.

About ENGIE Energía Chile SA

ENGIE Energía Chile (EECL) is a company with a presence in the generation, transmission, gas transportation and port infrastructure markets. The company is a subsidiary of the ENGIE group, the largest independent energy producer in the world, whose purpose is to accelerate the transition towards a carbon-neutral economy, offering low-carbon electricity generation, renewable energies and efficient and smart solutions for people, companies and cities.

Currently EECL is one of the most important electricity generators in Chile (fourth nationally) with 2.6 GW of installed capacity. In addition, it has a prominent participation in the transmission sector. By 2023, it has around 3,000 km of lines in high voltage operation, including the 600 km TEN line, which in 2017 allowed the country to have a single electrical system.

About ENGIE Group

ENGIE is a leading global low-carbon energy and services group. With its 97,000 employees, customers, partners and stakeholders, the Group is committed every day to accelerating the transition towards a carbon-neutral world through more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions. Guided by its purpose, ENGIE reconciles economic performance with a positive impact on people and the planet by relying on its key businesses (gas, renewable energy, services) to offer competitive solutions to its clients.

Business volume in 2023: 82.6 billion euros. Listed in Paris and Brussels (ENGI), the Group is represented in the main financial (CAC 40, Euronext 100, FTSE Euro 100, MSCI Europe) and extra-financial indices (DJSI World, Euronext Vigeo Eiris - Europe 120 / France 20, MSCI EMU ESG screened, MSCI EUROPE ESG Universal Select, Stoxx Europe 600 ESG-X).