Construction has commenced on Dune Plus, a landmark energy storage and solar hybrid project in Chile’s Antofagasta Region developed by Generadora Metropolitana, a joint venture between AME and EDF Power Solutions Chile. The project will augment Chile’s largest solar facility, adding 509 MW / 2,036 MWh of storage capacity under an agreement to supply power to mining giant Codelco.

The Dune Plus project comprises two components: a standalone battery‑energy storage system (BESS) — a 333 MW / 1,334 MWh installation co‑located with the existing CEME1 solar plant — and a new hybrid facility named La Pampina, featuring a 186 MW solar PV array paired with a 175 MW / 702 MWh BESS. Both storage systems will provide four‑hour duration capacity, enabling the delivery of up to 1 TWh of renewable energy annually to Codelco under a 15‑year power purchase agreement.

EPC contractor Sungrow will supply and install the battery energy storage systems, supported by what is expected to be its PowerTitan containers, deployed across 406 units, along with approximately 297,000 solar modules and 150 transformers. The full 186‑hectare facility will be interlinked via a 33 kV network to the existing solar plant for integrated operation.

A financing consortium led by BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole CIB, MUFG Bank, Société Générale, and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation — with Banco de Crédito e Inversiones (BCI) providing VAT financing — has secured non‑recourse project funding, with legal advisory from Latham & Watkins LLP.

Dune Plus represents a significant step toward expanding large‑scale battery storage and solar capacity in Chile, underscoring growing international financial support for renewable energy infrastructure.

Source: ess-news.com