ContourGlobal announced the start of operations of the BESS system at the Victor Jara hybrid power plant in Tarapacá, Chile, with the capacity to deliver 6.5 hours of continuous power .
The 231 MWp photovoltaic solar park is complemented by the storage system supplying up to 200 MW of clean energy at night, placing it among the longest-lasting utility-scale BESS storage projects worldwide and as the longest-lasting project currently in operation in Latin America.
ContourGlobal's solar portfolio with storage in Chile is now fully operational and includes the Victor Jara project (231 MWp of photovoltaic solar combined with a 1.3 GWh battery system) and the Quillagua project in Antofagasta (221 MWp of photovoltaic solar and 1.2 GWh of storage).
The Victor Jara plant includes an innovative 15-year nighttime PPA with Copec EMOAC, one of Chile's leading renewable energy suppliers. This agreement enables ContourGlobal's "Sun at Night" model from a commercial standpoint, capturing solar energy during off-peak hours and dispatching it during peak consumption times in the afternoon and evening.
In this way, the project provides greater flexibility and stability to the Chilean electrical system, supporting a more efficient integration of renewable energies and optimizing the use of solar generation throughout the day.
“With this milestone, ContourGlobal reaches 850 MW in operation in the country between solar photovoltaics and storage, reinforcing its contribution to this stage of the electrical system. At ContourGlobal, we are proud to be part of this transformation and will continue investing in Chile, one of our most important strategic markets,” said James Lee Stancampiano, General Manager of ContourGlobal for South America .
“That the sun from the Tarapacá desert illuminates Chilean homes at night is not just a technical fact: it is a powerful image of where we want to take energy in Chile. We are building a cleaner, safer, and more accessible electricity grid for everyone, and energy storage is the piece that makes this leap possible. We will continue working to make Chile a hub for investment and leadership in clean energy and storage in Latin America, because when we invest in renewables, we invest in cheaper energy that serves people and the growth of our economy,” commented Ximena Rincón González, Chile’s Minister of Energy .
This advance is part of a broader global transformation: renewable energy is moving from being intermittent options to becoming a source of clean and reliable electricity, available all day long.
Chile is positioning itself at the forefront of the Latin American market in investments related to storage, with more than 270 projects in progress —representing more than two-thirds of the regional total— within an investment wave that exceeds USD 100 billion, according to market analysts.
This achievement strengthens ContourGlobal's position as a global independent power producer focused on renewable energy and storage. The company currently operates over 3 GWh of BESS capacity worldwide and has additional standalone and hybrid projects progressing into the construction phase. This further solidifies ContourGlobal's role in the transition from independent renewable generation to integrated platforms that combine solar power and storage.