Atacama has US$7,325 million in 26 projects under environmental review, and energy leads the list

Chile's Atacama Region has 26 projects under environmental review worth more than US$7,325 million, 9% of all investment currently being assessed in the country, the executive director of the Environmental Assessment Service (SEA), Arturo Farías, reported on October 29, 2026, after a working day in Copiapó with presidential delegate Sofía Cid, according to an SEA statement.

Energy dominates the list. Of the four largest projects the SEA highlighted as under review, three are energy projects: the Atacama Pumped Storage Renewable Energy Plant (US$900 million), the Las Cunas photovoltaic park (US$716 million) and the Delva battery and transmission system (US$600 million). The fourth is the Lobo Marte gold mining project, worth US$1,500 million.

“The Atacama Region is the third region with the most investment under review in the country,” Farías said, announcing that the service will reinforce its teams in the area to deliver more timely processes with shorter deadlines, without lowering technical standards.

According to the SEA, since March 11, 2026, when the current administration took office, projects worth US$3,224 million have entered the system in Atacama. In addition, US$2,555 million has been rated and approved during 2026, with three solar parks as the largest.

Source: SEA, October 29, 2026. Project type classified by Energía Futura based on each project's filing.

Taken together, the six energy projects in the table account for US$3,607 million, more than twice the main mining project. Among those still under review, the three energy projects add up to US$2,216 million, about 30% of the US$7,325 million Atacama has in the pipeline, according to Energía Futura's calculation.

The Atacama Pumped Storage Plant, by Central Bombeo Atacama SpA (a joint venture between Chile's Susterra and France's Hyvity), proposes a reversible hydro plant of up to 450 MW with 3,600 MWh of storage in Caldera, using desalinated water and two artificial reservoirs of 4.8 million m³ each, according to Reporte Minero when it was filed in July. The project remains under review just as Colbún scrapped its Paposo pumped storage plant, worth US$1.4 billion, because of the rise of batteries.

Delva, by Delva Transmisión BESS SpA, includes 440 MW / 2,640 MWh of batteries with about six hours of delivery, in the municipalities of Vallenar and Freirina, plus a 33/500 kV substation and a 5.4 km line to the Nueva Maitencillo substation, according to REDIMIN. It was filed as a DIA on January 23, 2026.

Sources: Reporte Minero (July 2026), REDIMIN (January 2026), Infraestructura Pública (Peuco), Isidora Solar DIA (2025) and SEA Atacama (Las Cunas). Capacities come from the filing forms and may have changed during review.

Among those already approved, Peuco is the largest. It is being developed by oEnergy in the municipality of Copiapó and, according to its 2025 SEIA filing, includes 401,460 panels of 710 W, 285 MWp of capacity and an estimated 695 GWh a year of generation, plus 2,400 MWh of batteries. Isidora Solar, in Diego de Almagro, declared in its August 2025 DIA output of about 357 GWh a year from 150 MWp installed. With that production, Peuco alone could cover the electricity use of several hundred thousand homes, although the exact number depends on the average consumption used for the calculation.

Together, the three storage projects with a confirmed figure add up to 8,640 MWh, by Energía Futura's count. To compare that with what already exists worldwide, see our ranking of the largest battery in the world.

Atacama is the third region by investment under review, according to the SEA. Antofagasta is far ahead: the SEA's regional director there highlighted on October 22 the review of projects worth more than US$28,000 million, according to the service itself. On October 30, the Antofagasta commission approved US$688 million in two solar parks in María Elena, one of them for SQM.

Atacama's momentum comes from a mix of solar irradiation, available land and proximity to backbone grid substations such as Nueva Maitencillo and Cardones. The challenge, as across the north, is transmission: without enough lines, solar power is wasted at midday. That is why almost all new projects include batteries or pumped storage. For the full picture of the technology, see solar energy in Chile in numbers.

How much investment is under environmental review in Atacama?

More than US$7,325 million in 26 projects, 9% of the national total, according to the SEA as of October 29, 2026. The headline of the statement rounds the figure to US$7,200 million.

What is the largest project?

The Lobo Marte gold mining project, worth US$1,500 million. It is followed by three energy projects: the pumped storage plant (US$900 million), Las Cunas (US$716 million) and Delva (US$600 million).

Which energy projects were approved in 2026?

The Peuco (US$794 million), Cristalería Solar (US$335 million) and Isidora Solar (US$262 million) solar parks, within the US$2,555 million approved in the region this year.

What is a pumped storage plant?

A plant that pumps water up to a high reservoir when there is surplus power and releases it through turbines when power is needed. It works like a giant hydraulic battery.

Where does Atacama rank among regions?

Third in investment under environmental review, according to SEA executive director Arturo Farías.