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Integrating solar energy and storage technologies is crucial for addressing the intermittency and grid stability in Chile. Key projects include Cerro Dominador, solar and PV hybrid, Zelestra’s 220 MW solar and 1 GWh battery project, and AES Andes solar and battery storage hub.
Chile’s first battery energy storage projects were commissioned in 2009, and all but two of its 16 administrative regions have facilities in operation, under construction or in the planning stage. The greatest installed capacity is found in the northern regions of Antofagasta and Tarapacá, the country’s solar powerhouses.
Chile is a global leader in renewable energy, with solar power and battery storage playing a crucial role in decarbonizing the grid. Integrating solar energy and storage technologies is crucial for addressing the intermittency and grid stability in Chile.
Key projects include Cerro Dominador, solar and PV hybrid, Zelestra’s 220 MW solar and 1 GWh battery project, and AES Andes solar and battery storage hub. Chilean governments have also provided policy incentives and investments to speed up the adoption of the projects.
The Juba Solar Power Station is a proposed 20 MW (27,000 hp) solar power plant in South Sudan. The solar farm is under development by a consortium comprising Elsewedy Electric Company of Egypt, Asunim Solar from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and I-kWh Company, an energy consultancy firm also based in the UAE.
Most of the electricity in the country is concentrated in Juba the capital and in the regional centers of Malakal and Wau. At that time the demand for electricity in the county was estimated at over 300 MW and growing. Nearly all electricity sources in the country are fossil-fuel based, with attendant challenges of cost and environmental pollution.
The solar farm will have an attached battery energy storage system rated at 35MWh. The off-taker is the South Sudanese Ministry of Electricity, Dams, Irrigation and Water Resources, represented by South Sudan Electricity Corporation, the national electric utility parastatal company.
This power station is an attempt to (a) diversify the country's generation mix (b) increase the country's generation capacity and (c) increase the number of South Sudan's homes, businesses and industries connected to the national grid. The power station is reported to cost an estimated US$45 million to construct.
For certain projects, backup power must be provided for the BESS auxiliary load as required by the BESS supplier or fire codes. Some BESS suppliers mandate uninterrupted power to maintain the operation of thermal management systems, ensuring battery temperatures remain within desired limits to minimize degradation.
Project owners are also responsible for the electricity costs associated with the BESS auxiliary load during operation. The electricity cost for auxiliary loads depends on the energy consumption (kWh) and the pricing structure set by independent system operators or utilities. For example:
Some BESS suppliers mandate uninterrupted power to maintain the operation of thermal management systems, ensuring battery temperatures remain within desired limits to minimize degradation. BESS fire safety standards, such as NFPA 855, outline minimum requirements for backup power for fire safety systems.
If a BESS product cannot meet these backup power requirements as mandated by the code or the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), an external backup power source needs to be provided. Options for backup power include local distribution network feeders (if available with sufficient kVA rating) or backup generators.
On June 10, 2021, the 29th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress passed the Hainan Free Trade Port Law of the People's Republic of China, which determined to establish and improve the Hainan Free Trade Port customs supervision special zone system with closed-off customs operations on the entire island.
With a zero-tariff system fundamentally in place after the independent customs operation, high-quality global resources can flow into Hainan with greater freedom and efficiency, Wu said. Trade liberalization and facilitation are defining features of a free trade port.
The Ministry of Commerce will make more efforts to support Hainan in aligning with high-standard international economic and trade rules, enhancing institutional openness, and fostering new growth drivers through targeted measures, Jiang said.
"With the independent customs operations, Hainan FTP is poised to become a key gateway for China's new era of opening up and innovation," Cai added. China's Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) is set to launch an island-wide independent customs operation on Dec. 18, 2025, underscoring the country's wider push for high-standard opening up.
