Santiago, October 30, 2024—After successfully completing all necessary tests to ensure the system’s safe operation, its collaborators, and nearby communities, Enel Chile, through its renewable energy subsidiary Enel Green Power, has received authorization from the National Electric Coordinator to begin commercial operations of the El Manzano storage system. This system has a net installed capacity of 67 MW for 2 hours, which is equivalent to 134 MWh of energy.
This milestone marks the completion of the development cycle for Enel Chile's first energy cluster in the Metropolitan Region. This cluster integrates bifacial photovoltaic generation and storage technologies, enabling the company to advance its efforts in implementing 100% renewable energy production and storage close to major consumption centers.
"A hybrid project on an industrial scale of this type allows us to generate efficiencies in the use of the resource produced because being located in an urban area, it has the ability to connect directly to the distribution network of the region and thus allow the energy both generated and stored, can be used at different times, optimizing the maximum use of solar resources," said Enel Chile’s general manager, Giuseppe Turchiarelli.
The company's strategy of hybridizing renewable energy plants allows for the joint operation of the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) and the photovoltaic park at the El Manzano energy cluster. This collaboration is expected to inject approximately 226 GWh of renewable energy annually into the National Electric System. This amount is enough to power around 75,000 Chilean homes and helps prevent the emission of approximately 182,000 tons of CO2 each year.
This energy cluster will be capable of managing 44 GWh per year. This capacity allows for the transfer of renewable energy generation to peak consumption hours, even when solar resources are limited. Additionally, the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) can offer complementary services such as frequency regulation, contributing to the stability and security of the electricity system.