ContourGlobal has started construction of the Los Maitenes hybrid solar and battery storage project in Chile’s O’Higgins region.
The new facility will combine 131MW-peak (MWp) of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity with a 90MW/360MW-hour (MWh) battery energy storage system (BESS), marking an expansion of the company’s hybrid renewables platform in the country.
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The project will increase ContourGlobal’s Chilean portfolio to around 583MWp of solar PV and 490MW/2.9GW-hours (GWh) of storage capacity once completed. This positions the company to surpass 1GW of clean generation and storage assets in Chile.
Located near one of the main electricity consumption centres within the Central Interconnected System, Los Maitenes is intended to help address periods of surplus solar generation that may not be absorbed or transmitted by the grid.
The battery system will enable energy delivery during both daytime and non-solar hours, supported by a four-hour storage capability.
The project is underpinned by a single long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) covering both daytime and night-time blocks, while residual output will be sold on merchant markets.
ContourGlobal CEO Antonio Cammisecra said: “Our growth in Chile goes hand in hand with the transformation of the country’s power system, which is leading the way in combining renewable generation and energy storage to deliver reliable, dispatchable clean energy at scale.
“Los Maitenes is another milestone in ContourGlobal’s strategy to develop large-scale hybrid renewable platforms, and builds on our pioneering ‘Sun at Night’ business model, which enables solar energy generated during the day to be delivered during non-solar peak demand hours.”
ContourGlobal expects the facility to be fully constructed by the end of 2027, with an anticipated annual generation of approximately 220GWh of electricity.
The construction phase is projected to create as many as 400 on-site jobs at its peak, with a total direct workforce of approximately 900 people over the course of around 15 months.
The company estimates that total employment at the project, including indirect roles in associated sectors such as transportation and local services, could exceed 1,300 positions during the build.
Alongside ContourGlobal’s sites in Tarapacá and Antofagasta, the Los Maitenes development expands the company’s operational footprint closer to Chilean demand centres.
ContourGlobal LATAM general manager James Lee Stancampiano said: “Los Maitenes marks an important milestone in ContourGlobal’s continued expansion in Chile.
“This project demonstrates our ability to understand the evolving needs of our customers and the market, and to translate them into world-class, bankable energy solutions. It also reflects our strong local presence and experience in the Chilean energy market.”
Last month, Tesla signed a long-term PPA with ContourGlobal covering approximately 1TW-hour per year of renewable electricity from Project Sterling, a hybrid solar and battery storage project in Arizona, US.
