ContourGlobal Unveils Largest Solar Plant with Battery Storage in Latin America

ContourGlobal CEO Antonio Cammisecra and Undersecretary of Energy Luis Felipe Ramos, alongside local authorities and electricity sector representatives, celebrated the inauguration of the Quillagua photovoltaic solar plant in María Elena, Antofagasta.

With a capacity of 221 MWp and 1.2 GWh of battery storage, Quillagua is the largest solar plant with storage in Latin America, capable of delivering 200 MW for 6.2 hours after sunset. This milestone marks the final phase before the plant's commercial operation, which will begin in the coming weeks, supplying solar power at night and dispatching surplus to the market.

Cammisecra expressed pride in launching the plant ahead of schedule and highlighted its role in stabilizing the grid and addressing the challenges of daytime supply and peak demand with long-duration batteries. He also noted the company's broader commitment to diversifying energy sources, including wind, to meet Chile’s energy needs.

Quillagua is part of a larger development, including the Víctor Jara plant in the Tarapacá region, which will add 231 MWp and 1.3 GWh of storage, expected to be operational by late 2025. These two projects, acquired from Grenergy, total 452 MWp solar and 2.5 GWh storage. Once fully operational, they will generate 1,300 GWh annually, positioning ContourGlobal as a major renewable player in Chile.

The launch reinforces Chile’s leadership in solar energy and long-duration battery storage (BESS), in line with the IEA’s prediction of 70 GW global battery storage by 2024. The combination of solar and storage is becoming more competitive, setting the stage for a flexible, cost-efficient energy future.

The construction of Quillagua created 313 direct jobs from six nationalities, 176 indirect jobs, and involved the installation of 452,000 solar panels, 5,000 solar trackers, 267 battery modules, and 90 inverters, with 20 permanent jobs for ongoing operation.