Atacama more than doubled its energy storage capacity in just one quarter. The region went from 677 MWh between January and March to 1566 MWh between April and June 2026 , a growth of 131%.
The number of BESS systems operational or in testing also increased from four to seven, while installed capacity advanced from 203 MW to 381 MW , an increase of nearly 88%.
The data comes from the Regional Energy Panorama prepared by the Seremi of Energy of Atacama and shows the rapid growth that storage is experiencing in one of the areas with the highest concentration of renewable generation in Chile.
The leap forward doesn't end with the currently available projects. Atacama also has nine BESS systems under construction that will add an additional 5,621 MWh of capacity.
If that entire portfolio becomes operational, the infrastructure currently operational, in testing and under construction would exceed 7 GWh of storage , reinforcing the region's role within the Chilean battery market.
This progress is directly related to the composition of the regional energy mix. Atacama has approximately 5,600 MW of installed generation capacity , of which roughly 74% corresponds to non-conventional renewable energy sources.
High solar penetration generates large volumes of electricity during the middle of the day. Batteries allow some of that production to be captured and shifted to the afternoon and evening, when photovoltaic generation decreases and the cost of electricity increases.
The seven systems considered in the report also achieve an average efficiency of 90.6% , according to data from the regional authority.
“Storing energy confirms that the energy transition not only requires increasing renewable generation, but also incorporating infrastructure that allows us to use that energy efficiently, safely and intelligently,” said Manuel Nanjarí Contreras , Regional Secretary of Energy for Atacama.
Another 5.6 GWh are already under construction
The portfolio under execution shows that the growth recorded during the second quarter could be just a first stage.
The nine projects currently under construction will contribute 5621 MWh , more than three times the capacity available between operating and testing systems at the end of June.
The deployment is part of a broader transformation of the Chilean electricity market, where storage is moving from primarily providing auxiliary services to increasingly participating in the displacement of large volumes of solar energy.
Atacama has several conditions that favor this trend: high irradiation, a significant installed photovoltaic capacity, and periods with abundant renewable production during the day.
The new BESS systems allow for better use of existing parks without the entire expansion depending on immediately incorporating new transmission lines.
They also offer greater flexibility to respond to generation variations, manage delivery schedules, and reduce project exposure to periods of low prices.
For developers, storage also opens up the possibility of combining income derived from energy arbitrage with other services required by the electricity system.
The speed of growth is reflected in the quarterly figures: in just three months Atacama added 178 MW of BESS power and 889 MWh of energy capacity .
With 1566 MWh already operational or in testing and another 5621 MWh under construction, the region is on track to concentrate more than 7 GWh of batteries if the planned projects complete their development.