ContourGlobal inaugurates solar plant with 1.2 GWh BESS in Chile
The Quillagua plant in Chile’s Antofagasta region is part of a larger project that includes another similar facility in the Tarapacá region that is expected to be ready in the second half of 2025.
Power producer ContourGlobal has inaugurated a 221 MWp photovoltaic solar plant with a 1.2 GWh battery storage system (BESS) in Chile, said to be the largest solar plant coupled with battery storage system in Latin America.
“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,” said Antonio Cammisecra, Global CEO of ContourGlobal.
The Quillagua plant in the Antofagasta region is part of a larger development project that includes another similar facility in the Tarapacá region that is expected to be ready in the second half of the year.
Both projects, with a total capacity of 452 MWp solar and 2.5 GWh of battery storage, were acquired from Spanish independent power producer Grenergy at the end of last year by ContourGlobal, marking the entry of the US KKR-backed company into Chile. Once fully operational, this portfolio will generate about 1,300 GWh annually, according to a media release.
The construction of this ambitious solar project has created 313 direct jobs, involving workers from six nationalities, and 176 indirect jobs. It also included the installation of more than 452,000 solar panels, 5,000 solar trackers, 267 battery storage modules, 44 transformation centers, and 90 inverters, ensuring the creation of nearly 20 permanent jobs for its ongoing operation.
US-based private equity firm KKR purchased British power generation company ContourGlobal in an all-cash deal valued at USD 2.18 billion in 2022.
