The system operates independently from on-site generation assets, storing energy and dispatching it to the National Electricity System based on grid requirements with discharge autonomy of up to five hours. BESS Lile represents Engie Chile’s fifth storage project to enter commercial operation during 2026, bringing the company’s installed battery capacity to 803 MW across its portfolio. Chief Executive Juan Villavicencio characterized the activation as demonstrating that energy transition depends on efficient adaptation of legacy infrastructure to new system needs.
The battery deployment forms part of the broader reconversion process at Mejillones, where Engie Chile disconnected coal-fired units CTM1 and CTM2 on December 31, 2025, after nearly 30 years of operation. The company initiated conversion of the Mejillones Energy Infrastructure unit to operate on natural gas, with that facility currently awaiting commercial operation clearance. The phased transformation will continue with future retirement of the Andina and Hornitos coal-fired units, completing a gradual coal exit designed to safeguard National Electricity System stability and security.
The Mejillones complex historically comprised two coal units totaling 334 MW built in 1996 and 1998, a 246-MW gas-fired combined cycle unit operational since 2000, and a 375-MW coal expansion unit commissioned in 2019. The battery installation repurposes areas and connections at a site that served as one of Chile’s principal thermal generation hubs in the northern grid. Engie Chile’s 2026 storage pipeline consolidates infrastructure supporting increased renewable penetration as Chile approaches 1.5 GW of operational battery capacity systemwide, with an additional 6.8 GW under construction as of late 2025.
This article was curated and published as part of our South American energy market coverage.
