San Juan Province in Argentina to Build 10 MW Solar Plus 30 MWh Storage Hybrid Park

en.Wedoany.com Reported - The province of San Juan will build a hybrid solar park in the department of Iglesia, introducing lithium battery energy storage for the first time in the province, with funding derived from mining activities.

The park, announced last week by Governor Marcelo Orrego, will include a photovoltaic plant with an installed capacity of 10 MW and a battery energy storage system (BESS) with a capacity of 30 MWh. During periods of high photovoltaic generation in daylight hours, a portion of the electricity can be stored in batteries for use at night or during peak demand.

The project is expected to involve an investment of 18,614,000 pesos, fully sourced from the Veladero Project Phase VI Infrastructure Trust Fund, which is linked to mining activities and managed by the Provincial Ministry of Mining.

The project will be implemented by the provincial company EPSE, with the aim of strengthening energy supply capacity in the department of Iglesia, addressing the electricity demand driven by growth in local production, population, and tourism activities.

The energy storage system is the core feature of the project. Batteries can store electricity generated by the photovoltaic plant during the day and release it when solar radiation diminishes. The 30 MWh capacity will create an energy reserve, helping to improve supply stability and extend the effective utilization time of the solar plant's generation. This solution also reduces reliance on generation that is only available during sunlight hours, one of the main challenges commonly faced by solar facilities.

The project's financing mechanism channels resources generated from mining activities into energy infrastructure that directly benefits the Iglesia community. According to information released by the provincial government, Iglesia users will be the primary beneficiaries of the energy produced, with priority given to the most vulnerable sectors in accordance with EPRE regulations.

Beyond energy supply, the park also aims to support the development of the department of Iglesia. It is one of San Juan's mountainous departments, where production, tourism, and mining activities converge. The storage configuration enables solar power to be used beyond generation hours, bringing greater flexibility to the local electricity system. For the province of San Juan, this also represents a new project combining mining funds, renewable generation, and lithium battery storage within a single infrastructure.