Chile Builds Largest Solar Battery Project in Latin America

Chile is building one of Latin America's largest renewable energy storage systems, marking a major leap forward for clean power reliability across the continent.

Chinese manufacturer Sungrow has secured over 10.5GWh in battery storage contracts throughout Chile, transforming how the country captures and delivers solar power. The crown jewel is the Aurora Project in Tarapacá, a hybrid complex combining 220MW of solar panels with a 1GWh battery system using advanced liquid cooling technology.

The project will generate roughly 600GWh of renewable energy each year through a long-term contract with Chilean company Abastible. By storing sunshine during peak hours and releasing it after dark, the system solves one of solar energy's biggest challenges: delivering power when people actually need it most.

Sungrow is also outfitting the Coya solar plant in Antofagasta with a 638MWh storage system for French energy company Engie. The batteries will capture daytime solar generation and distribute it throughout evening hours, boosting the grid's flexibility and reliability.

In the Atacama Desert, the company installed Latin America's largest standalone battery system. The BESS del Desierto project stores 880MWh of capacity without being directly attached to a solar farm, helping absorb solar surpluses and easing transmission bottlenecks while providing crucial voltage and frequency control for the electrical grid.

The Ripple Effect

Chile's battery boom is creating a blueprint for the entire region. Brazil is watching closely as it prepares its first battery storage auction later this year, which could unlock a wave of similar projects across South America's largest economy.

Mauro Fernando Basquera, Sungrow's technical director for Latin America, says Brazil's industrial and commercial sectors are already placing orders for behind-the-meter battery systems. Companies suffering from energy curtailment can now install batteries to shift power consumption outside peak hours, slashing costs while supporting grid stability.

The technology is especially promising for factories and businesses facing time-of-use energy tariffs. As regulatory frameworks mature and financing options expand, distributed battery storage could become as common as rooftop solar panels.

Latin America's abundant sunshine has always been an energy advantage, but batteries are finally making that power available around the clock. What starts in Chile's deserts today could light up cities across the continent tomorrow.