ACCIONA Energía has announced the construction of a 1GWh battery energy storage system (BESS) at its Malgarida photovoltaic complex, a 238MWp solar facility located in Chile’s Atacama Desert. Scheduled for commissioning in early 2027, the project will be one of the largest battery storage systems in Latin America. The BESS will have a capacity of 200MW/1GWh, enabling it to deliver 200MW of energy continuously for up to five hours. This capability will allow the photovoltaic energy produced at Malgarida to be stored, managed, and dispatched across different time periods, ensuring that clean energy generated during the day can also be delivered at night.
In doing so, the project will help reduce reliance on fossil fuels and lower associated CO₂ emissions. The Malgarida battery will strengthen ACCIONA Energía’s renewable energy management in Chile, where the company currently has a total installed capacity of 922MW across three wind farms—Punta Palmeras (45MW), San Gabriel (183MW), and Tolpán Sur (84MW)—and five photovoltaic plants: El Romero (246MWp), Usya (64MWp), Almeyda (62MWp), and Malgarida (238MWp).
In addition, ACCIONA Energía is developing a pipeline of three additional battery energy storage projects totaling 1.5GWh, which will be integrated with its photovoltaic plants in Chile. By leveraging the declining costs and growing potential of storage technology, the company aims to maximize the country’s abundant daytime solar generation and align it with energy demand. Utility-scale BESS systems like Malgarida play a critical role in facilitating the integration of renewable energy, enabling clean energy to be dispatched during peak demand periods and enhancing the overall reliability and stability of the national power supply.
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