Chile: AES gets seal of approval for 3.1 GWh battery storage coupled with solar-wind complex

AES Andes, a subsidiary of US multinational AES Corporation, has announced that it has received environmental approval for its Parque Híbrido Pampas hybrid project, located in the commune of Taltal, Antofagasta region, Chile.

The project, as described in a statement, will combine a wind farm with an installed capacity of 140 MW and a solar park of 252 MW, plus a battery energy storage system based with a power output of 624 MW and storage duration of up to 5 hours (3.120 MWh).

The Pampas project is scheduled to break groun in the first half of 2025.

According to project proponents, “the new project will allow energy to be stored during periods of greater resource availability and then delivered to the system at times of greatest demand, thus optimising the use of renewable energy.”

In Chile, AES Andes claims to have 767 MW of renewable capacity under construction, in addition to a portfolio of contracted projects of more than 1,400 MW in development, which amounts to an investment of more than $1.9 billion between 2024 and 2027.

The company recently obtained an environmental approval for the Cristales project, a 340 MW photovoltaic project paired with 542 MW/2710 MWh BESS, also in Antofagasta. It also sought approval for a solar- battery energy storage complex Altos del Sol, in the Antofagasta region, which could feature 763.6 MW coupled with a five-hour battery energy storage systems (BESS) with a power output of 1063.4 MW and storage capacity of 5317 MWh.

From pv magazine LatAm