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Chile has the potential to run exclusively on renewable generation, with an estimated energy mix of 46% solar, 31% wind, 12% hydroelectric, and 8% flexible natural gas power plants, as well as 23% of battery storage capacity. The remaining 2% is split between biomass, geothermal, and other less common energy sources.
Currently, 36 of the 129 large-scale projects Latin America projects with an energy storage component under development are in Chile, including 32 out of 71 of the region’s early works projects. The storage technologies either in use or being considered include:
According to data from Acera, the Chilean Renewable Energy Association, there are only 64MW of battery storage capacity currently active, representing 0.2% of national capacity. AES Andes, a subsidiary of U.S. company AES Corp. operates all 64MW at their Angamos and Los Andes substations.
Chile’s goal to achieve 80% renewable grid by 2030 and a 100% zero emissions grid by 2050, will require an estimated 2,000 MW of energy storage every 10 years.
Grid energy storage, also known as large-scale energy storage, is a set of technologies connected to the electrical power grid that store energy for later use. These systems help balance supply and demand by storing excess electricity from variable renewables such as solar and inflexible sources like nuclear power, releasing it when needed.
Under some conditions, excess renewable energy is produced and, without storage, is curtailed 2, 3; under others, demand is greater than generation from renewables. Grid-scale energy-storage (GSES) systems are therefore needed to store excess renewable energy to be released on demand, when power generation is insufficient 4.
Grid-scale storage refers to technologies connected to the power grid that can store energy and then supply it back to the grid at a more advantageous time – for example, at night, when no solar power is available, or during a weather event that disrupts electricity generation.
The rise in renewable energy utilization is increasing demand for battery energy-storage technologies (BESTs). BESTs based on lithium-ion batteries are being developed and deployed. However, this technology alone does not meet all the requirements for grid-scale energy storage.
