On 21 March Atlas Renewable Energy signed a 15 year power purchase agreement for the use of its battery energy storage system with the Chilean company COPEC, through its energy commercialiser EMOAC. BESS del Desierto will be among the largest storage projects in Chile and the first large-scale independent, standalone BESS.
The agreement anticipates storing sustainably produced energy in order to re-inject approximately 3.6 TWh of that energy into the grid at peak demand times.
The project will allow for the storage of energy pimarily during daylight hours and re-injection into the grid during high demand. The battery system will be installed near the Atlas Sol del Desierto solar plant, which is located in the commune of Maria Elena in the Antofagasta region.
Under this agreement, BESS del Desierto will expect to re-inject around 280 GWh per year to the grid, reducing curtailment of renewable energy generated during the day from solar sources and allowing greater stability and reliability of electricity supply in the region.
BESS del Desierto will be implemented as a standalone battery, which means that it is an independent and autonomous solution designed to store electrical energy.
In the last few years, Atlas Renewable Energy has developed projects in the region with a long term focus. The company has contracted 5243 MW of renewable energy installed capacity, which contributes to the region's energy transformation toward cleaner energy sources, and it has now pioneered the implementation and use of battery energy storage systems in Chile after having signed two of the largest deals in the country and Latin America using this technology. The company expects to continue consolidating and expanding into other regions with sustainable energy projects.
Image: The battery will be installed next to the Sol del Desierto solar plant in the Antofagasta region (courtesy of Atlas Renewable Energy)
