AES Andes powers up 211-MW solar farm with BESS in Atacama Desert

Latin American utility AES Andes SA on Tuesday announced the start of commercial operation of its Andes Solar IV power complex, featuring 211 MW of photovoltaic panels and a 130-MW battery energy storage system (BESS) in the middle of the Atacama Desert in the Chilean region of Antofagasta.

The facilities are part of AES Andes’ regional renewables hub, which boasts 667 MW of solar and 259 MW of installed BESS, according to AES Andes CEO Javier Dib.

“The entry into commercial operation of Andes Solar IV is a source of pride for the company and demonstrates that we continue to be the undisputed leaders in battery-based storage systems,”Dib said in a statement.

As announced previously, AES Andes plans to invest heavily in energy storage, with the aim of reaching more than 1,600 MW of operational storage capacity by 2027 and an additional 2,400 MW by 2030.

A number of concrete steps in this direction were taken in the few weeks leading to September, during which the company submitted three solar-plus-storage projects into environmental permitting. Those three projects, if approved, would add over 1,700 MW of solar capacity and more than 2,400 MW of battery storage to Chile's grid.

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