Grenergy expands BYD battery order to 3 GWh for Chilean project

Spanish renewables company Grenergy Renovables SA (BME:GRE) has purchased more batteries from China’s BYD Co Ltd (SHE:002594) to furnish its multi-phase Oasis de Atacama solar-plus-storage project in northern Chile, raising the total ordered capacity to 3 GWh.

The new agreement includes the supply of battery energy storage systems (BESS) for the Oasis de Atacama phase 3, dubbed Victor Jara, Grenergy said on Friday.

As agreed, the Chinese battery maker will supply its MC Cube solution, adding 537 containers to the phase 3 project. The shipment is due to arrive in the second quarter of 2025.

Earlier this year, Grenergy bought 1.1 GWh of BYD’s MC Cube units for the first and the second phase of Oasis de Atacama. The equipment for the first phase recently passed the Factory Acceptance Test, Grenergy said.

Oasis de Atacama is a five-phase solar and storage project spanning multiple sites in Chile’s northern regions of Tarapaca, Antofagasta and Atacama. It will consist of clusters of solar farms totalling roughly 1 GW and 4.1 GWh of BESS capacity -- Quillagua, Quillagua 2, Victor Jara, Gabriela and Algarrobal.

The Quillagua solar farm was connected to the grid in 2020. The Quillagua BESS, Victor Jara solar and BESS, and Gabriela solar and BESS are under construction, according to the Chilean energy commission’s data for August 2024. The Algarrobal project is still in permitting.

Grenergy secured long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) for 75% of electricity generated by the Oasis de Atacama project. The company expects to connect the first phase by the end of 2024 and the next three phases in 2025.

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