ContourGlobal commissions 221MW solar+storage plant in Chile

UK-headquartered ContourGlobal has announced the commissioning of the Quillagua plant in Chile, a 221MWp solar PV plant with a 1.2GWh battery storage system.

The project is located in Maria Elena municipality, in the Antofagasta region in Chile. Once fully operational it will be capable of delivering 200MW for 6.2 hours after sunset, making it one of the region's largest solar and storage projects.

The plant includes 452,000 solar panels, 5,000 solar trackers, 267 battery storage modules, 44 transformation centres, and 90 inverters.

Commercial operation will commence in the coming weeks fulfilling the signed PPA and dispatching surplus power to the commercial market.

Antonio Cammisecra, Global CEO of ContourGlobal, commented on the milestone: "We are proud to begin operations at Quillagua months ahead of schedule, bringing the sun's energy at night, and to share this moment with our partners, the community, and local institutions and authorities.

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"This is key to stabilizing the grid, addressing excess daytime supply and peak demand challenges. We are deeply committed to this country, and, beyond storage, we are also exploring opportunities in wind power, diversifying our technological approach to meet the dynamic energy needs of Chile."

According to ContourGlobal, the Quillagua project forms part of a larger development that also includes the Victor Jara solar plant in the Tarapacá region. The 231MWp project is coupled with 1.3GWh of battery storage, and will be ready in the second half of the year.

Both projects were acquired from Grenergy at the end of 2024 by ContourGlobal and align with Chile's goal renewable energy and storage goals.

According to think tank Ember, renewables provided 70% of Chile’s electricity in 2024, while fossil fuels accounted for 30%. This marks a significant shift from five years ago, when fossil fuels led with 53% and renewables provided 47% of Chile’s electricity.

In December 2024, the country set a record by generating 42% of its electricity from wind and solar, surpassing the previous monthly record of 39.6% set in September 2024.

Due to favourable natural conditions and low costs, solar power is projected to reach a 46% share of total installed capacity by 2060 in Chile’s national electricity system, with this growth primarily taking place in the north of the country, especially in the Antofagasta region. The region is known for high irradiance and relatively lower development costs compared to other regions make it a cost-effective source of energy.