Southern Cone roundup: Renewables projects, transmission studies tender

Chile projects seeking green light

Four energy projects involving combined outlay of more than US$550mn were filed for environmental review in Chile in recent days.

The biggest is the US$236mn Pillancó solar PV-storage project planned for Biobío region by Trina Solar. 

Components are a 208MW solar park and a 200MW battery system with four hours of discharge capacity. Work is penciled in to start in June 2026.

The second biggest is the US$144mn Cálice standalone battery storage and transmission line project, planned by Grenergy for Atacama region. 

Components of the project are a 105MW battery system with six-hour discharge capacity and a 3.4km power line. Construction is due to start in November 2025.

Solar PV-storage hybrid Loma Verde Solar is also seeking the environmental green light.

With capex estimated at US$130mn, the Valparaíso region project is planned by company Tau3 and involves a 94.7MW solar park and an 84MW battery storage system with five hours of discharge capacity. Work is due to start in April 2026.

The smallest energy project, by investment, presented in recent days is the US$45mn Volcán Isluga standalone storage plant, targeting O’Higgins region.

Planned by Biwo Renovables – which has filed a flurry of similar projects – the initiative comprises a 200MWh storage system (40MW injected over 5 hours).

Work is penciled in to start in July 2025.

MSU Green Energy investment plans

Argentine renewables generator MSU Green Energy is aiming to reach the 1GW of installed capacity milestone in 2027.

A first phase involves investing US$650mn in 11 solar PV parks, local media outlet Mejor Energía reported.

Today, MSU Green Energy, a unit of local group MSU, has 160MW of solar capacity online, corresponding to the 130MW Pampa Infierno in Chaco province – the third-biggest solar plant in the country – and the 30MW Las Lomas in La Rioja province.

Several more, Mejor Energía reported, are under construction and due to enter service by around the middle of next year: Chaco province parks Villa Ángela (60MW), La Corzuela (40MW), Miraflores (20MW) and Sáenz Peña (60MW) and Formosa province parks Ingeniero Juárez (15MW) and Las Lomitas (15MW).

Hitting the 1GW goal will require more projects, using company cash and local market financing, MSU Green Energy renewables chief Juan Pablo Martínez was reported as saying.

MSU was recently awarded transmission priority dispatch capacity for the 120MW Chaco solar project La Escondida, Catamarca province solar projects 330MW San Martín I and 100MW Andalgala, and the 100MW Neuquén province solar project MSU Chos Malal. Another Mendoza solar park, the 100MW Tupungato, was not awarded priority dispatch capacity.

Pampa del Infierno and Las Lomas have also secured priority dispatch capacity, which is awarded to projects looking to participate in the Mater term market, where the likes of manufacturers contract clean power from renewables players. 

In 2023, MSU secured 15-year supply contracts for output from solar parks Villa Ángela (II, III, IV), Charata (I, II, III), Saenz Peña (I, II), Castelli, Ingeniero Juárez and Laguna Yema ( I, II) via the RenMDI auction held by wholesale power market administrator Cammesa. Capacity is due online by October 2026, the company said in its financial statements.

Projects awarded to MSU in the RenMDI regulated supply auction. CREDIT: MSU Green Energy.

Chile studies tender

Chile’s national energy commission CNE launched a tender to contract a consultancy to conduct transmission studies.

CNE is seeking a firm to carry out work concerning transmission system valuation.

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