Innergex orders Mitsubishi storage solution to bring battery storage to Chile project
by CM Staff
Both projects will employ Mitsubishi Power's Emerald Integrated Plant Controller, which is an Energy Management System and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system.
Salvador Battery Energy Storage Project in the Atacama desert of Northern Chile. (Rendering Credit: Mitsubishi Power) (CNW Group/Innergex Renewable Energy Inc.)
LONGUEUIL and LAKE MARY — Innergex Renewable Energy Inc., an independent renewable power producer that develops, acquires, owns and operates hydroelectric facilities, wind farms, solar farms and energy storage facilities, has awarded Mitsubishi Power an order for two utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) projects for its Emerald storage solution totaling 425 megawatt-hours in the Atacama desert of Northern Chile. These projects will be colocated with existing solar photovoltaic facilities and shift the renewable energy to hours of greater need by storing solar energy during the day and dispatching at night.
The five-hour energy duration BESS projects are among the first colocated solar and storage projects in Chile and are Mitsubishi Power’s first BESS projects in South America. Innergex’s 68 megawatt Salvador solar photovoltaic facility will add 50 MW/250 MWh of storage capacity and its 50.6 MW San Andrés solar photovoltaic facility will add 35 MW/175 MWh of storage capacity. Both BESS projects are scheduled to come online in 2023 and will help support Chile’s national decarbonization goals to achieve 80% clean electricity by 2030 and 100% by 2050.
The two BESS projects combined represent an investment of US$128.5 million (CAN$ 166.6 million). The projects will benefit from capacity payments and additionally will sell energy on the merchant market enabling the facilities to serve the market upon energy demand.
Michel Letellier, President and Chief Executive Officer of Innergex, said, “Chile continues to be an attractive market for Innergex, and we are pleased to pursue our expansion by now adding battery energy storage systems to our existing assets. The combination of hydro, wind, solar and battery energy storage systems enables Innergex to meet customer needs at any time of the day and offer 24/7 energy supply to industrial customers through its portfolio of projects. In addition, the capacity payments for energy storage enable these projects to benefit from stable and predictable revenues to which are added the revenues derived from the merchant market, making these projects viable.”
Both projects will employ Mitsubishi Power’s Emerald Integrated Plant Controller, which is an Energy Management System and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system with real-time BESS operation and a monitoring/supervisory control platform. Mitsubishi Power leverages its decades of technology monitoring and diagnostics to enable predictive maintenance, maximize reliability, and unlock operational insights.
