ENGIE Chile Opens $270 Million Tocopilla Energy Complex, Advances Second Battery Project at Mejillones

President José Antonio Kast and ENGIE Chile CEO Juan Villavicencio inaugurated the Tocopilla Energy Complex, a $270 million reconversion of a coal plant that operated for over a century until September 2022. The site now integrates three technologies: BESS Tocopilla with 116 MW capacity and 660 MWh storage, a synchronous condenser converted from the former Unit 15 to provide voltage control and grid inertia, and a gas-fired Unit 16 for flexible generation. The battery system stores renewable energy during high generation periods and reinjects it when needed, supplying the annual equivalent of 89,900 homes and avoiding 51,231 tons of CO2 annually. The project created 700 jobs during construction and currently sustains 100 direct positions.

Energy Minister Ximena Rincón stated the project demonstrates that decarbonization requires planning transitions and replacing capacities to maintain grid security. ENGIE Chile CEO Juan Villavicencio emphasized the complex proves Chile can convert historical sites into 24-hour clean energy platforms. The inauguration included ministers of national assets and science, ambassadors from France and Belgium, and regional authorities.

ENGIE Chile announced a second battery initiative, BESS Lile, currently under construction at the Mejillones Thermal Complex with 140 MW capacity and 802 MWh storage. The standalone system will supply 84,000 homes for five consecutive hours once operational in the second half of 2026. The project deploys 160 battery containers and 40 electrical support units, leveraging existing transmission lines, interconnection substations, and internal infrastructure originally designed for coal-fired expansion.

Managing Director Generation Laïlla Ducousso noted the approach optimizes resources and shortens execution timelines by repurposing coal infrastructure for clean energy. The Mejillones complex currently operates five coal units, with Units 1 and 2 scheduled for disconnection on December 31, 2025. Infraestructura Energética Mejillones will convert to natural gas, while Central Termoeléctrica Andina and Central Termoeléctrica Hornitos coal units face closure in 2026. The two battery projects position ENGIE Chile as a leading developer of storage infrastructure on reconverted coal sites, establishing a template for managing thermal plant retirements across Chile’s National Electric System.