ENGIE Commissions USD 174 Million Energy Storage Project in Chile

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 8, ENGIE Chile announced that the BESS Lile battery energy storage project at the Mejillones Energy Complex in the Antofagasta region of Chile has entered commercial operation, with a total investment of USD 174 million, an installed power capacity of 142 MW, and an energy storage capacity of 802 MWh. The project received commercial operation authorization from the Coordinador Eléctrico Nacional on September 25, marking the completion of the first phase of the Mejillones Energy Complex transformation.

The project installed 160 battery containers and 40 sets of supporting electrical equipment, with a maximum continuous discharge duration of 5 hours. Operating indicators published by ENGIE Chile show that the electricity supplied by the system during the aforementioned discharge period is equivalent to the electricity demand of more than 84,000 households. The project adopts a standalone energy storage configuration, directly connected to Chile's national power system, and can store and release electricity according to grid dispatch requirements.

BESS Lile utilizes the infrastructure at the Mejillones Energy Complex originally planned for the expansion of thermal power generation facilities, including the existing grid-connected substation, internal site land, and roads. In October 2025, when ENGIE Chile announced the project construction plan, the designed installed power capacity was 140 MW, the energy storage capacity was 802 MWh, and it was planned to enter operation in the second half of 2026. This commercial operation announcement updates the final installed power capacity to 142 MW, while the energy storage capacity remains unchanged.

The Mejillones Energy Complex ceased operation of coal-fired units CTM1 and CTM2 on December 31, 2025; the two units had previously been in operation for nearly 30 years. ENGIE Chile is simultaneously carrying out the Infraestructura Energética Mejillones (IEM) natural gas conversion project and has included Central Termoeléctrica Andina (CTA) and Central Termoeléctrica Hornitos (CTH) in the subsequent coal-fired unit retirement arrangements.

BESS Lile is the fifth battery energy storage project that ENGIE Chile has put into commercial operation in 2026. With the commissioning of this project, the company's installed battery energy storage power capacity in Chile has reached 803 MW. Previously commissioned projects include the 116 MW/660 MWh BESS Tocopilla, the 25 MW/150 MWh BESS Arica, and the BESS Libélula and BESS Los Loros, which were commissioned in August with a combined capacity of 251 MW.