The initiative will be located where coal and fuel oil units previously operated, giving new life to the site and, at the same time, contributing to the resilience and security of both the National Electrical System (SEN) and the Engie portfolio.
In September 2022, power company Engie Chile disconnected the last coal-fired unit of the power plant Tocopilla Thermal Complex (CTT). However, the site will now have a new power source.
Rosalyn Corinthian, CEO of ENGIE Chile, announced that BESS Tocopilla plants will now be built where old coal and fuel oil thermal plants used to operate.
“The 660 MWh storage system, with an installed capacity of 116 MW, fulfills one of our commitments as we begin the process of assisted decarbonisation.” A fair transition planHe commented: “Maintaining our presence in the municipality and bringing new life to the complex.”
With 240 containers based on lithium-ion batteries, Peace Tocopilla I will have her Average annual generation is 211 GWhWhich means saving some consumption 89,900 homes in Chile.
In addition, the project will contribute to reducing CO2 emissions, by replacing thermal generation during peak hours, avoiding the emission of 51,231 tons of CO2 equivalent annually.
“One of our goals is for the energy transition to be safe and stable, which is linked to working with all participants in this process,” explained Gabriel Marcos, ENGIE’s General Manager for Flexible Generation and Retail. BESS Tocopilla is an action within our Just Transition PlanContributing to the development of the community and giving the site a new use.
Currently, BESS Tocopilla is still in the engineering phase and construction is scheduled to begin in June 2024.
Progress at BESS by Angie Schiele
Currently, the company has two storage systems in operation: Peace Koya (139 MW/638 MW/h), the initiative with the largest capacity in Latin America; And Peace Areca, which was a pilot project. Added to this are Peace Tamaya (68 MW/418 MWh) y Pace Capricorneo (48MW/264MWh)Both are located in the Antofagasta area and are currently under construction.
BESS Tocopilla is the fifth project based on Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) From ENGIE in Chile, it is the first large-scale pure or stand-alone storage system.
Unlike systems that store energy generated directly from renewable energy parks, this type of technology operates independently and connects directly to the transmission grid to charge and discharge the batteries.
Once the existing ENGIE portfolio at BESS becomes operational, there will be an installed capacity of 371 MW/2 GWh.
(Tags for translation)BESS Tocopilla
