en.Wedoany.com Reported - Engie Chile has officially inaugurated the Tocopilla Energy Complex in the Antofagasta Region of Chile. The launch ceremony was attended by Chilean President José Antonio Kast and Engie Chile CEO Juan Villavicencio. The facility is built on the site of the company's former thermal power plant, which had operated for over a century using coal and fuel oil units.
The new complex consists of three components: the Tocopilla Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), flexible natural gas power generation infrastructure, and a synchronous condenser to enhance the stability of the National Electric System (SEN). The total investment for the transformation is approximately $270 million.
The BESS has an installed capacity of 116 megawatts/660 megawatt-hours, comprising 240 lithium-ion battery containers, 30 power conversion systems (PCS), and a 130 MVA power transformer, directly connected to the transmission grid. On February 19, its commercial operation was officially approved following the completion of startup and regulatory verification. The system can charge during periods of low electricity demand or high renewable energy output, and discharge during peak hours or when conventional energy supply is insufficient. According to Engie's estimates, the system delivers approximately 211 gigawatt-hours of electricity to the grid annually, meeting the yearly electricity needs of about 89,900 households in Chile.
The last coal-fired unit at the original Tocopilla thermal power plant complex was decommissioned in September 2022. In April 2024, Engie announced plans to install a 116MW/660MWh BESS at the site, which was then in the engineering design phase, with construction slated to begin in June of the same year.
The synchronous condenser, converted from the original Unit 15, primarily provides voltage control, inertial support, and grid stabilization ancillary services. Such services are particularly critical in power systems with increasing renewable energy penetration.
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