Zelestra has signed a PPA with Abastible for a solar-plus-storage project in Chile, featuring 220MW solar capacity and a 1GWh BESS. This marks Abastible’s second such agreement in a month. Chile’s trend towards co-locating solar PV with battery systems responds to challenges like curtailment, while projections indicate significant future expansions in solar capacity. Regulatory issues still pose challenges to growth.
Zelestra, a Spanish renewable energy developer, has established a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with Abastible for a significant solar-plus-storage facility in Chile. This hybrid plant will feature 220MW of solar generation capacity along with a 1GWh battery energy storage system (BESS) and is currently under construction in the Tarapacá region.
This PPA marks Abastible’s second agreement in a short span, having previously signed a 15-year PPA with Verano Energy. The earlier deal comprises an 83MW solar PV project with a 660MWh BESS, set to begin operations by the end of 2026. Zelestra’s footprint in Latin America is substantial, with ongoing projects in Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador, amounting to a total development pipeline of 7GW across 56 projects.
Chile has increasingly prioritized the integration of BESS with solar PV projects, addressing challenges related to curtailment and transmission. In 2024, approximately 6TWh of solar and wind capacity were curtailed nationwide. This trend highlights the need for hybrid solutions, as emphasized by Alejandro McDonough, managing director at Wärtsilä Chile, who referred to it as an “absolute necessity” for the region.
Forecasts by Wood Mackenzie indicate that Chile and Brazil will be the main contributors to solar PV expansions in South America, projecting an addition of 160GW of new capacity by 2034. However, regulatory and financial uncertainties persist, impeding the rapid growth of BESS in Chile and the larger Latin American region, which lacks adequate policies for BESS development.
Zelestra’s recent PPA with Abastible underscores the growing trend of integrating solar energy systems with battery storage in Chile. With both companies’ focus on enhancing carbon-free energy solutions and addressing ongoing curtailment challenges, such partnerships are expected to play a crucial role in the future of renewable energy in Latin America. Despite the positive developments, regulatory and financial issues remain as hurdles to quicker adoption of battery storage technologies in the region.
Original Source: www.pv-tech.org
