Chile's AES Andes Activates 692 MW Solar and 510 MW Storage

en.Wedoany.com Reported - AES Andes has officially commissioned the Andes Solar Hub (Hub Andes Solar) in Chile's Antofagasta Region. Located in the Atacama Desert, the complex comprises photovoltaic generation and battery energy storage systems, with a total capacity of 692 MW of solar and 510 MW of storage. The inauguration ceremony was held on August 13, marking the completion of a phased development process that began with the commissioning of Andes Solar I a decade ago.

This inauguration does not represent new capacity added to Chile's National Electric System (Sistema Eléctrico Nacional, SEN). The hub's current configuration was finalized in April of this year when Andes Solar III commenced commercial operation. Andes Solar III is a hybrid plant with 171 MW of photovoltaic capacity, paired with a 171.3 MW / 513 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) with a three-hour discharge duration. The technical documentation from the National Electric Coordinator (Coordinador Eléctrico Nacional) confirms these rated parameters.

The hub is located at an altitude of approximately 2,800 meters, with cumulative development investment exceeding $1.3 billion. According to AES Andes, the renewable energy generated by its facilities is equivalent to the electricity consumption of approximately 800,000 households. The complex connects to Chile's northern transmission network through the Andes substation, which is linked to the InterAndes power interconnection system connecting Chile and Argentina.

The project was implemented in phases. In July 2023, Andes Solar IIb entered operation, a 180 MW photovoltaic plant paired with a 112 MW, five-hour duration lithium-ion battery energy storage system supplied by Fluence; the facility also includes 10 MW of capacity utilizing Maverick technology, developed by Australia's 5B company as prefabricated modular photovoltaic structures, which was reported in 2020 to be undergoing testing at Andes Solar. In October 2024, Andes Solar IV was connected to the grid, adding approximately 211 MW of photovoltaic capacity and 130 MW / 650 MWh of battery storage; according to documents from the National Electric Coordinator, the plant consists of 388,584 Longi 540 Wp and 545 Wp modules and 54 GPTech inverters. The final expansion was Andes Solar III.

Chile's Ministry of National Assets (Ministerio de Bienes Nacionales) disclosed that these facilities occupy 1,181 hectares of state-owned land, delivered through six paid concession agreements. Minister of National Assets Catalina Parot attended the inauguration ceremony and emphasized the approach of leveraging state assets to support energy infrastructure investment. According to ministry data, Chile currently has 243 active paid concessions, with 97.5% concentrated in the northern macro-zone, and 65% of related revenues are transferred to regional governments.

According to the same ministry, Chile's installed renewable energy capacity has reached 27,100 MW, of which 9,595 MW is located on state-owned land. The ministry also plans to tender approximately 32 new state-owned properties for investment projects in the Tarapacá and Antofagasta regions, originally scheduled to launch by the end of 2026.