Weekly Market Analytics Chile Vol 12 Num 10

VOL 12 | NUM 10 | 26 September 2025

Power Markets Weekly

CHILE | 15 - 21 September 2025

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Demand dips during independence week, BESS and renewables step up

Glossary

Global SEN operation

The average price at Polpaico was USD 33.9/MWh, 4% lower than last week and 1% lower than the same week last year.

Marginal cost evolution in Polpaico during past years

Despite a sharp 2.4 pp drop in wind participation, renewables increased their overall share in the energy mix. This growth was driven primarily by dam (up 1.6 pp), followed by solar (up 1.4 pp) and run-of-river (up 0.9 pp). Among thermal sources, gas experienced the steepest decline, falling by 3.6 pp.

Weekly demand fell by a marked 4.8% compared to the previous week, totaling 1.54 TWh during Chile’s Independence Week.

The system’s maximum demand reached 11.3 GW on Monday at 1 PM, with wind, solar, and BESS contributing 75.1% of the output. The highest wind-solar-BESS participation occurred on Sunday at 12 PM, covering 77.1% of the 10.3 GW demand.

Generation Mix

Variation

Power range by energy sources (average prices)

Learn more about this chart

Generation evolution

Geothermal

Cogeneration

Biomass

Coal

Gas

Oil

BESS

Dam

Run-of-river

Wind

PV Solar

CSP

This week, prices among reference nodes remained mostly coupled. Puerto Montt was the exception, as expected, drifting apart from the rest of the nodes multiple times due to congestion in the 220 kV Lastarria - Ciruelos line and the 220 kV Charrúa - Santa Clara line. This led to either prices of USD 0/MWh or slightly above those in Charrúa.

Marginal cost evolution

Crucero
USD 32.8/MWh

D. de Almagro
USD 32.6/MWh

Pan de Azúcar
USD 32.0/MWh

Polpaico
USD 33.9/MWh

Charrúa
USD 32.1/MWh

Puerto Montt
USD 24.6/MWh

Solar and Wind production & BESS dispatch

Solar generation remained nearly unchanged (+0.6%), with a system-wide plant factor of 21.6%. The highest solar plant factor was observed in Crucero (25.5%), while the lowest was in Puerto Montt (12.5%).

Conversely, wind generation declined by 50.9 GWh (-20.3%). The system plant factor was 18.7%, with Puerto Montt leading at 27.0% and Diego de Almagro recording the lowest at 10.0%.

BESS discharge totaled 47.8 GWh, up 28.9% (+10.7 GWh) from the previous week. The Crucero area recorded the highest percentage increase, with injection rising 34.3% (+10.1 GWh).

Solar curtailment reached 20.7%, down by 0.5 pp from the previous week. Wind curtailment was 16.0%, down by 0.7 pp. The combined curtailment rate was 19.2%, 0.2 pp lower than last week.