Consultant warns that the long-term planning of the Chilean transmission grid should consider hydroelectricity and battery energy storage systems.
Hydroelectric dams and energy storage will be vital for planning Chile’s grid
Long-term planning of the Chilean transmission grid should consider hydroelectricity and battery energy storage systems, warns local consultancy Systep.
The proposal to execute transmission expansion works published in January by the national electricity system operator, CEN, does not adequately address these issues, Systep said in a report published on Monday.
The transmission law passed last year provides for more rigorous and frequent planning of projects, in addition to the development of “poles” or power generation centers aimed at optimizing the transmission infrastructure.
The only pole included in the CEN proposal is the Taltal district in the northern Antofagasta Region (II), for which a bidding process was opened in which public land will be assigned to wind project management companies.
Future proposals should consider the immense hydroelectric potential in the south of the country, according to Systep, as well as areas where large-scale battery storage systems are most suitable.
In a speech last week at the annual renewable energy dinner, Carlos Finat, executive director of the Chilean Association of Alternative Renewable Energies (Acera), stressed the importance of the transmission law and long-term planning to aim for a 100% renewable electricity sector by 2050.
