AES Andes prepares to build solar farm with 542-MW BESS in Chile

• Chilean electric utility AES Andes on Friday unveiled strategies to construct a 379-MW solar farm co-located with a 542-MW battery energy storage space system (BESS) in the Atacama Desert.

The suggested facilities comprise the Cristales project, in which AES Andes will invest around USD 710 million (EUR 662.2 m). Cristales is presently at the beginning of the environmental permitting process.

AES Andes claimed the project would certainly benefit from outstanding conditions for solar power generation that exist in the Atacama Desert. The Cristales project site boasts average daily worldwide horizontal irradiation of 7.47 kWh/m2/day, with a minimum of 4.74 kWh/m2/day and also a maximum of 9.81 kWh/m2/day as a regular monthly average, the firm claimed in its environmental effect statement.

The BESS plant will certainly be capable of saving power for as much as 5 hrs.

AES Andes anticipates to release building in the 4th quarter of 2024. Commercial operations will certainly not start previously 2028, according to AES Andes.