AES Andes, part of US-based energy company AES, has started construction on two major renewable energy and storage projects in Chile’s Antofagasta region. The Pampas and Cristales projects will collectively add 1,325 MW of generation capacity and 2.2 GWh of battery energy storage, backed by a combined investment exceeding $1.1 billion.

Located in northern Chile, both projects will combine solar PV, wind, and co-located battery storage.

Pampas will include a 128 MW wind farm, a 229 MW solar PV plant, and a 340 MW battery storage system with four hours of duration. The most recent AES Andes statement suggested the Pampas project, from its June 2025 Green Impact report, said the BESS will have a four-hour duration, adding up to 1,360 MWh of capacity.

The battery sizing and duration has been significantly revised down since the project’s environmental approval in August 2024, when plans indicated a 624 MW, five-hour system (~3.12 GWh).

Cristales will consist of 288 MW of solar PV and a 340 MW battery storage system. The same June 2025 Green Impact report from AES said the Cristales project will have a three-hour duration, adding up to 1,020 MWh of capacity.

Both projects will install bifacial PV modules on terrain-following trackers, aiming to maximise yield across Antofagasta’s variable topography. The storage systems are designed to capture excess renewable generation during low-demand periods and discharge during peak hours, improving grid flexibility and reliability. Together, they are expected to supply electricity equivalent to the annual consumption of more than 780,000 Chilean households.

Construction across the two sites is projected to generate more than 1,400 local jobs. According to environmental filings, Pampas represents an $800 million investment, while Cristales is estimated at $710 million. Commercial operations are expected to begin in 2027.

AES Andes received environmental approval for the Pampas project in August 2024 and for Cristales in April 2025. These projects form part of a broader development pipeline in the region. Other ongoing construction include Arenales, a 300 MW standalone BESS, Bolero BESS, a 146 MW battery installation added to the existing Bolero solar project, and Andes Solar III, a hybrid facility with 171 MW of solar and 171 MW of BESS.

AES Andes currently owns and operates more than 3,500 MW of installed capacity in Chile, spanning thermal, hydro, wind, solar, and battery storage assets, as well as associated transmission and seawater desalination infrastructure. It maintains one of the country’s largest renewable energy project portfolios.