Business / Published December 28, 2021

Copec and STEM prepare first virtual power plant in South America


In the town of Quintero, Valparaíso Region, Copec and its subsidiary Stem completed the first pilot of a battery storage solution driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI), which, when interconnected to the transmission grid, allows energy to be stored and released when needed.

The pilot, in which the Ministry of Energy, the Superintendency of Electricity and Fuels (SEC) and Chilquinta are also participating to validate and authorize the technology, is the first step in the creation of South America’s first Virtual Power Plant (VPP), which will have six storage batteries.

This project becomes even more relevant in a context marked by the increased penetration of NCRE, growing droughts that reduce hydroelectric generation and the looming withdrawal of coal-fired power plants. It is estimated that Chile requires approximately 1 GW of storage system power, with only about 50 MW existing to date.

Thus, Copec, through its subsidiaries, is now involved in the commercialization of renewable energies, photovoltaic distributed generation, intelligent energy storage, energy efficiency and electromobility, which translates into a comprehensive offer for the residential, commercial and industrial segments. The aforementioned, under a focus on providing “energy intelligence” and accompanying customers and companies in the transition that is taking place globally.