ContourGlobal (renewable energy company) has started construction on Los Maitenes, a hybrid solar and battery storage project in Chile's O'Higgins region, the company announced. The facility will combine 131 MWp of solar photovoltaic capacity with 90 MW and 360 MWh of battery energy storage, and is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2027.

A Platform Crossing the 1 GW Threshold

The Los Maitenes project represents a significant expansion of ContourGlobal's existing renewables footprint in Chile. Upon completion, the facility will bring the company's total Chilean portfolio to approximately 583 MWp of solar PV capacity paired with 490 MW and 2.9 GWh of battery energy storage.

ContourGlobal described this combined figure as representing more than 1 gigawatt of clean power generation and storage assets in the country, a threshold the company said Los Maitenes places it on track to surpass.

The company already operates plants in the Tarapacá and Antofagasta regions, where its Víctor Jara, Quillagua I and Quillagua II facilities are located. Los Maitenes will extend ContourGlobal's geographic presence southward into the O'Higgins region, bringing the company closer to one of Chile's principal electricity demand centers in the Central Interconnected System.

Design Built Around Grid Realities

The project's location and technical configuration have been shaped in part by the structural challenges facing Chile's power grid. The country's electricity system has experienced periods of excess solar generation that cannot always be absorbed or transmitted across the network, leading to curtailment.

ContourGlobal said that Los Maitenes is designed to help mitigate that risk, both through its proximity to major consumption centers, which reduces exposure to transmission constraints, and through its battery system, which can absorb generation during peak solar hours for delivery later in the day.

The four-hour battery storage configuration enables the plant to deliver what ContourGlobal describes as firm energy during peak demand in non-solar hours. The company has referred to this operating model as its "Sun at Night" business model, which it said enables solar energy generated during the day to be dispatched during non-solar peak demand periods.

The plant is expected to generate approximately 220 GWh of clean electricity per year. Its output is described as highly contracted through a single long-term power purchase agreement covering both daytime and nighttime delivery blocks, with the remaining production available to capture merchant market opportunities.

Executive Remarks on Strategy and Market Positioning

Antonio Cammisecra, ContourGlobal's chief executive officer, said the company's growth in Chile is tied directly to the transformation of the country's power system.

"Chile is leading the way in combining renewable generation and energy storage to deliver reliable, dispatchable clean energy at scale," he said. "Los Maitenes is another milestone in ContourGlobal's strategy to develop large-scale hybrid renewable platforms."

James Lee Stancampiano, General Manager for Latin America at ContourGlobal, described the project as a demonstration of the company's ability to respond to evolving customer and market needs.

"This project demonstrates our ability to understand the evolving needs of our customers and the market, and to translate them into world-class, bankable energy solutions," he said. "It also reflects our strong local presence and experience in the Chilean energy market."

Construction Timeline and Workforce

ContourGlobal said the construction program encompasses the solar plant itself, the battery energy storage facility, an electrical substation and associated civil, mechanical and electrical works.

The project is expected to involve a peak on-site construction workforce of up to 400 people working simultaneously during the most intensive phases of delivery.

Across the approximately 15-month construction period, an estimated 900 direct workers are expected to contribute to the project as activities progress through civil, mechanical, electrical and commissioning phases.

When indirect employment associated with transportation, local services, suppliers and subcontractors is included, ContourGlobal said the total employment impact is expected to exceed 1,300 people, based on preliminary estimates.

Community Engagement and Local Stakeholders

Alongside the construction activity, ContourGlobal said it is conducting a community engagement process with local stakeholders in the O'Higgins region. The company said it is providing timely updates on the start of specific works, coordinating activities that may generate impacts on surrounding communities, and maintaining communication with both local residents and institutional stakeholders throughout the construction period.

Demand Drivers in the Chilean Market

ContourGlobal pointed to two sectors as underpinning long-term power demand growth in Chile: the mining industry, which has historically been a major electricity consumer, and a rapidly expanding digital infrastructure sector.

The company framed its continued investment in the country as aligned with this demand trajectory, with the O'Higgins region's proximity to the Central Interconnected System's main consumption zones cited as a key factor in the siting of Los Maitenes.

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