en.Wedoany.com Reported - Engie Chile has commenced commercial operations of the BESS Arica battery energy storage system (25 MW/150 MWh) in the Arica and Parinacota regions of Chile. The system, with an investment of approximately $50 million, has been connected to Chile's National Electric System, and the Chilean National Electric Coordinator approved its commercial operation on June 25.

Unlike co-located battery projects, BESS Arica is directly connected to Engie Chile's Arica substation. The system will store excess solar generation during high output periods and discharge at night and during other high-demand periods. The facility includes 36 lithium-ion battery containers and 9 power conversion system units, capable of providing up to 6 hours of discharge at rated power.

Engie stated that the system can provide enough electricity within 5 hours to meet the needs of over 18,000 households. The project will strengthen the local transmission network and support the retirement of high-emission generation assets.

The commercial operation capacity is lower than the scale announced during the construction phase. In December 2025, Engie stated that BESS Arica had a capacity of 34 MW/170 MWh, and subsequent references listed it as 30 MW, with the company's latest report showing an installed capacity of 25 MW/150 MWh.

BESS Arica is the second battery storage project Engie has put into commercial operation in Chile this year. In February, the company commissioned the 116 MW/660 MWh BESS Tocopilla project. Additionally, Engie is developing projects such as BESS Coya (139 MW/638 MWh), BESS Tamaya (68 MW/418 MWh), and BESS Capricornio (48 MW/264 MWh) in Chile.

The construction of this project is based on a 2 MW/2 MWh pilot battery energy storage system that Engie commissioned at the same substation in 2018, which was one of the first battery storage projects deployed in northern Chile.