Energy authority highlights progress on Punta Sierra wind farm storage project

PRESS RELEASE from El Seremi de Energía de Coquimbo, Chile 

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

October 2024

The regional secretary of Energy, Eduardo Lara, went to the Punta Sierra wind farm to learn about the operation of this electricity generation project located in the commune of Ovalle, which is about to complement its operation with a battery energy storage system, one of the first in the Coquimbo Region.

Pacific Hydro 's Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) will use 3 MW/6 MWh lithium batteries, being the first pilot experience of this type of the company in Chile connected to the National Electric System.

Seremi Lara thanked the firm controlled by State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) “for learning about the installation and operation of the park, the virtues of generating clean energy and verifying one of the first BESS projects that will allow for much greater efficiency in production, with storage being a very relevant issue for the Government of President Gabriel Boric and the country. The system allows energy to be stored during the park's peak production times and to dispatch it at night when production in the photovoltaic parks decreases or when the system requires it. In this way, this project makes an important contribution to energy sustainability, allowing us to take a further step towards the decarbonization of our electric energy production and storage system.”

Carlos Rosario, head of Pacific Hydro's Punta Sierra Wind Farm, highlighted that "Punta Sierra and its substation represent a key milestone in the integration of clean energy into the National Electric System. It has an excellent plant factor and was shared early with the communities, aligning itself in a pioneering way with the participation standards guidelines of the Ministry of Energy. This project is also one of the first to incorporate battery storage systems connected to the system, reaffirming our commitment to the country's energy transition, providing a concrete solution to move towards a more sustainable and robust matrix for Chile."

The company is currently awaiting authorization for connection tests and is planning to begin commercial operations by the end of this year.

The BESS system is part of the Punta Sierra wind farm facilities, in the coastal area of the capital of Limarí. The plant, with a capacity of 82 MW, has 32 Goldwind turbines and achieves an annual generation of 282 GWh. The complex helps offset 107 thousand tons of CO2 per year, which is equivalent to removing about 40 thousand cars from circulation.

The park has a 220 KV main substation, which allows the generated power to be evacuated through the 120 MVA main transformer. This substation has the capacity to incorporate and connect new generation projects to the National Electric System, allowing the electrical transmission to be relieved.