Enterprise ESS system project financing options in Chile 2026

Will Chile be able to develop energy storage projects in 2024?

In 2022, Chile passed an energy storage and electromobility bill, which made stand-alone storage projects profitable, but the market is still expecting new rules on capacity payment for storage projects, which are to be approved in 2024. Chile has also put in place an auction procedure to award public land for the development of BESS projects.

Why are project finance transactions increasing in Chile?

Fitch Ratings-Sao Paulo/New York-01 April 2025: Project finance transactions in Chile are expected to increase due to the recent commissioning of large battery energy storage systems (BESS), Fitch Ratings says. This should balance electricity supply and demand while reducing price volatility for renewable energy generators.

How many energy storage projects are in Chile?

According to a December 2023 publication on the InvestChile website, the country had 23 approved energy storage projects with a total of 3,000 MW of capacity. Chile is exploring a variety of solutions to keep abreast of the changing energy demand landscape ranging from BESS to innovative projects using CO2.

How many Bess projects are there in Chile?

This momentum is reflected in the data: AMI estimates that there is a 7.7 GW pipeline of BESS projects in Chile, far and away the most advanced front of the meter (FTM) storage market in Latin America. 1 Only 505 MW of BESS projects are currently operational in the entire region.

How can Chile keep up with the changing energy demand landscape?

Chile is exploring a variety of solutions to keep abreast of the changing energy demand landscape ranging from BESS to innovative projects using CO2. In March 2024, BESS Coya, the largest battery-based energy storage system in Latin America, started operations.

How much energy will Chile have by 2026?

According to estimates of the national electric system of Chile (SEN) cited by Americas Market Intelligence, the country will have 13.2 GWh/ 2 GW (6–8-hour duration) of operating energy storage by 2026. The northern regions of Antofagasta and Atacama account for nearly 5GW of the BESS pipeline.