Grenergy has achieved the financial close of phase 1 and 2 of Oasis de Atacama, the world's largest storage project. With this new agreement the company becomes the first company globally to sign financing of this size for a hybrid solar and battery project with a syndicate of international banks, underscoring its confidence in Grenergy's growth plans and its solid business model.
Specifically, Grenergy has signed a USD 345 million green loan (equivalent to approximately
EUR 322 million) with other complementary credit lines with the financial institutions BNP
Paribas, Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking, Societe Generale, The Bank of Nova Scotia
and SMBC.
Located in northern Chile, Oasis de Atacama is the world's largest storage project, and is
expected to power more than 145,000 homes annually, while reducing the emission of more
than 146,000 tons of CO2. This financing covers the first two phases of the project,
corresponding to 220MWp of solar and 1.24 GWh of storage. The first phase is expected to
be connected by the end of 2024, while the remaining phases will mostly be connected by
2025.
A successful business model
The project, to which Grenergy will allocate up to 1.4 billion dollars, already has 75% of its
energy contracted through various long-term contracts (PPAs) such as the one announced
this year for a period of 15 years, and which will provide more than 8 TWh. Along the same
lines, one of the world's first night PPAs was announced for Oasis de Atacama, which includes
the supply of green energy for 15 years to the Chilean company EMOAC.
Grenergy's Executive Chairman, David Ruiz de Andrés, said that "this operation
demonstrates the bank's confidence in the hybridization of solar plants with storage, and in
Grenergy's business model, which continues to make progress in becoming a world leader
in storage".
According to Jean-Valery Patin, Co-Head of Energy, Resources & Infrastructure Finance
Americas at BNP Paribas, "we are proud to support Grenergy in this transaction and to
expand our leadership in renewables in Chile to battery storage and renewables. This s in
line with BNP Paribas' ambitious Low Carbon objectives and commitment to our clients".