Electricity utility in Chile, Colbun has energized a 230 MW solar power plant in Atacama region with 8 MW/32 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) calling it the 1st of over 800 MW storage capacity plans of the company to come online.
Colbun calls the Diego de Almagro Sur project as the largest solar park to assume commercial operations in Atacama to date. It fixes lots of firsts to the project as the company's 1st storage initiative, 1st industrial-scale storage project and Atacama's 1st battery system.
The project is operational with 470,000 solar panels with an estimated annual average generation capacity of 648 GWh, enough to be supplied to about 110,000 homes. It comprises 24 batteries with 8 MW combined capacity to generate 4 hours of electricity.
According to the energy company, the solar part of the project incurred an investment of $150 million, while storage cost $11 million.
Calling storage among pillars of the company's Strategic Agenda for 2030, Colbun said it is preparing the development of storage projects of more than 800 MW. Among facilities planned, it counts 421 MW Celda Solar Park in Arica and Parinacota region with a 240 MW battery system, currently in the process of environmental evaluation (see Latin America PV News Snippets).
By 2030, it aims to install 4 GW renewable energy capacity and double its size using solar, wind and storage.