An 8MW/32MW/hour energy storage system to Colbun, one of the largest power generation companies in Chile. The system is expected to become operational in the fourth quarter of 2022. Wärtsilä will supply the energy storage system on an engineering and equipment delivery (EEQ) basis. The Wärtsilä energy storage system will be co-located with Colbun’s 230 MWp Diego de Almagro solar photovoltaic (PV) facility located in the Atacama region. This will be Colbun’s first system of an energy storage portfolio that will allow the power generation company to integrate additional renewable energy capacity to achieve net-zero emissions. The energy storage system will also help proactively address constraints on the transmission system from the new solar facility and allow Colbun to shift excess energy production from day to night to avoid curtailment, which also improves revenues for the company. Additionally, the system will provide frequency response and firm capacity to ensure adequate energy supply during peak periods. Once the system will be operational, some 80 000 households are estimated to benefit from it.
Chile has become a leader in renewable energy and the country has one of the most ambitious and economical decarbonization plans in the world. The Diego de Almagro storage facility will include Wärtsilä’s GridSolv Quantum, an integrated, modular, and compact energy storage system, as well as the GEMS Digital Energy Platform. Wärtsilä’s sophisticated energy management system, GEMS, will co-optimize the utilization of the energy storage system and the solar PV facility. By using machine learning and data analytics, GEMS determines the most economical periods to dispatch energy to and from the energy storage system, therefore increasing the value of both assets.