ACCIONA Energía has signed a contract with CATL, the world’s largest manufacturer of batteries for energy storage systems, for the supply of 1 GWh of capacity to be installed at the Malgarida solar PV plant (238 MWp) in Chile’s Atacama Desert.
The project is one of the largest renewable energy developments in Latin America and marks a significant step forward in large-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) deployment in the region.
Through this agreement, ACCIONA Energía will integrate advanced energy storage technology into its Malgarida facility, enabling greater flexibility, improved grid integration and enhanced competitiveness of solar PV generation in Chile’s wholesale power market.
“Through this major project, one of the largest in Latin America, ACCIONA Energía will continue to deploy clean and flexible energy solutions at competitive prices, helping to reduce the use of fossil fuels and reaffirming our commitment to the energy transition and long-term investment in Chile,” said Jaime Toledo, General Manager for South America at ACCIONA Energía.
Sabrina Xia, Head of CATL Chile, highlighted that the company will supply its next-generation Tener Stack batteries to the project — the first of their kind to be deployed in Latin America.
According to CATL, the key advantage of this technology is a 30% reduction in construction costs, as it requires less space and fewer auxiliary systems for installation, improving the overall levelised cost of storage (LCOS).
Construction status and timeline
The battery energy storage project has recently been declared under construction by Chile’s Comisión Nacional de Energía (National Energy Commission). Commissioning is scheduled for early 2027.
With 1 GWh of storage capacity, the system will store, manage and dispatch solar energy generated at Malgarida during night-time hours. This will allow renewable electricity to be delivered during peak demand periods at competitive prices, reducing reliance on fossil-fuel generation and associated CO₂ emissions.
With the addition of the Malgarida battery, ACCIONA Energía will further optimise renewable energy management in Chile, where it currently operates 922 MW of installed capacity:
Wind power assets
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Punta Palmeras – 45 MW
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San Gabriel – 183 MW
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Tolpán Sur – 84 MW
Solar PV plants
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El Romero – 246 MWp
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Usya – 64 MWp
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Almeyda – 62 MWp
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Malgarida – 238 MWp
In parallel, the company is developing a pipeline of three additional BESS projects totalling 1.5 GWh, all linked to its solar PV facilities in Chile.
The strategic role of utility-scale BESS
Utility-scale battery energy storage systems play a critical role in renewable energy integration. By enabling time-shifting of generation, peak shaving and enhanced grid stability, BESS solutions support higher penetration of variable renewable energy such as solar PV and wind power.
In Chile — a market with high solar irradiation and rapid growth in renewable energy investment — large-scale storage is increasingly essential to strengthen security of supply, reduce curtailment and accelerate decarbonisation of the national power system.
The Malgarida project positions ACCIONA Energía at the forefront of energy storage deployment in Latin America, reinforcing Chile’s role as a regional leader in the energy transition.
