BYD Chile seeks to consolidate itself as a benchmark provider in the Chilean storage market, supported by its portfolio of utility scale projects and the agreements it maintains with Grenergy and other clients.
During the streaming program"It had to be said and it was said ," organized by Energía Estratégica , Tamara Berríos, Country Manager of BYD Chile , mentioned that the country already has almost 5 GW of storage in operation and testing, and estimates that by the end of the year it could be 10 GW.
The ACERA bulletin, updated to June 1, 2026 , puts this estimate into context: Chile has 2,063 MW / 8,777 MWh of BESS in operation and another 2,425 MW / 11,275 MWh undergoing testing. Combined, operation and testing capacity reach 4,488 MW / 20,052 MWh .
In addition to that volume, 5746 MW / 24638 MWh are under construction, bringing the total portfolio of BESS systems in operation, testing, and construction to over 10 GW . It is within this portfolio that BYD intends to increase its market share.
The most relevant case is the Elena project, the largest battery plant in America, which has 3.5 GWh of storage already commissioned, being Grenergy's most ambitious project to date and already has 624 containers and 6240 batteries.
Furthermore, Elena is the sixth phase of Grenergy's Oasis de Atacama , which together with all the platforms reaches 5 GW of solar power and 22 GWh of storage in northern Chile.
For that stage, Grenergy agreed with BYD Energy Storage to supply 624 MC Cube-T containers , a technology that integrates Blade batteries and will be used for Elena's BESS system.
The relationship between the two companies extends beyond that phase of the complex. “ To date, all of BYD’s projects in Chile are with Grenergy ,” the executive noted.
Berríos explained that the commercial relationship has previous precedents outside the Chilean market and that the key was to offer certainty for large-scale developments.
“Our relationship with Grenergy dates back to Spain. We were able to provide them with security and certainty regarding the operation. I think that was extremely important for them to be able to undertake projects of this scale,” he said.
According to the executive, this approach differs from the initiatives that are beginning to take shape in other countries in the region. In Chile , however, agreements are progressing with a more direct, private-sector approach.
“That led us to make super competitive offers, which are private and differ from other bidding processes, such as the one that is currently underway in Argentina or the projects in Colombia,” he compared.
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Grenergy 's asset rotation also changed the map of interlocutors for BYD , as the Spanish company sold the first three phases of Oasis de Atacama to ContourGlobal , a KKR company, and then agreed to transfer the fourth phase to funds managed by CVC DIF .
In that context, Berríos maintained that BYD maintains a relationship with the new players entering the complex, in a market where part of the larger BESS volume is being driven by developers and infrastructure funds, and not just by traditional utilities.
“The companies that have the largest volume of energy storage today are new companies in the market, they are not the more traditional utility companies, and we are participating in all of those processes,” he said.
According to Berríos, the Chilean curve still has room to accelerate, especially if the pace of battery incorporation associated with new renewable parks is maintained: “We have the impression that this should grow on a scale of 10 GW or perhaps a little more per year.”
The next commercial focus will be the C&I segment, with solutions for strategic consumption and critical infrastructure. For this vertical, the company plans to adapt the same technological platform to smaller facilities and specific needs.
The third product line appears in the retail or residential segment, although there is still no set date for its arrival outside of China. This line includes home backup solutions, everyday uses, and systems associated with charging electric vehicles .
Regional strategy: Chile as a platform for Brazil and Mexico
“We are not the largest market, but we have always been the one that has started all of BYD's businesses in the region. Everything that happens, happens here first. That gives us the imprint of a testing ground for businesses,” Berríos pointed out.
“Our focus, obviously, is on opening up Chile and moving into the two largest markets in the region, which are Brazil and Mexico, where the numbers start to make sense,” he added during the streaming.
For the Chinese firm, regional competition in storage will not be defined solely by price. Long-term operations, after-sales service , and local presence will be key factors for projects with extended lifespans.
At that point, BYD seeks to differentiate itself from suppliers that do not manufacture their own batteries or that do not have a local structure to support the operation.
“We are leaders in battery manufacturing. We don't sell other manufacturers' batteries. This allows us to guarantee certain technical characteristics and lifespan that are not trivial. And they are not trivial when you have to operate on a large scale,” he concluded.