On May 14, 2026, Spanish developer and IPP Zelestra energised its 1 GWh battery energy storage system in the Atacama Desert, Chile.
The project is one of the largest single BESS assets operational in Chile and is designed to absorb daytime solar surpluses that have driven negative prices in the Sistema Electrico Nacional grid.
Zelestra stated that the project was executed by its in-house engineering, procurement, and construction team. The installation achieved its first night-time battery discharge ten months after reaching financial close, ahead of its planned transition to full commercial operations in the coming weeks. Once operational, the complex will run under a power purchase agreement with Chilean energy company Abastible.
Why it matters for Green Renewable Energy: Chile’s solar-rich Norte Grande zone has suffered chronic curtailment of utility-scale PV; gigawatt-hour-scale storage is essential to monetize existing PV and unlock additional renewable buildout.