Spain’s Acciona Energía said it will install a 200-megawatt (MW), one-gigawatt-hour (GWh) battery energy storage system (BESS) at its 238MWp Malgarida photovoltaic complex in Chile’s Atacama Desert, in what the company described as one of the largest storage projects in Latin America.
The system, expected to enter operation in early 2027, will store excess solar energy generated during daylight hours and dispatch it at night to stabilise supply and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Acciona Energía said the initiative is a key step in optimising renewable energy management across its operations in Chile, where it currently has 922MW of installed capacity.
“The system will allow cleaner and more flexible operation of the grid while reducing reliance on fossil fuels and associated CO₂ emissions,” the company said in a statement.
The Malgarida battery will be capable of delivering 200MW of power for up to five hours. It forms part of Acciona Energía’s broader strategy to integrate large-scale storage into its solar portfolio and support Chile’s transition to a more sustainable energy system.
The company operates three wind farms — Punta Palmeras (45MW), San Gabriel (183MW), and Tolpan Sur (84MW) — as well as five photovoltaic plants, including El Romero (246MWp), Usya (64MWp), Almeyda (62MWp), and Malgarida (238MWp).
Acciona Energía is also developing an additional 1.5GWh of battery storage capacity across three other projects connected to its Chilean solar assets. The company said the investments will help align Chile’s strong daytime solar generation with national electricity demand while improving grid resilience through the use of advanced storage technology.
