Splight Launches Advanced Congestion Management System to Enhance Renewable Energy in Chile
Santiago, Chile – Splight, a leading company in grid infrastructure technology, has announced the successful launch of its Dynamic Congestion Manager (DCM) on Chile’s National Electric System (SEN). This system is now operational, marking the introduction of the country’s first AI-based automatic transfer control scheme. Impressively, the deployment has increased the transmission capacity along the Mulchén–Santa Clara and Santa Clara–Charrúa corridors by 60%, all without needing additional infrastructure.
The DCM continually monitors the output of 878 MW from seven wind farms managed by ACCIONA Energía, Enel Green Power, and WPD in the wind-rich southern regions of Biobío and La Araucanía. This includes major sites like San Gabriel and Tolpán Sur, and helps overcome the common issue where clean energy is curtailed due to fixed transmission limits. Previously, these limits were based on worst-case scenarios and often left significant capacity unused. The DCM changes this by allowing grid operators to access and utilize this extra capacity in real time.
With DCM now operational, these corridors are set to provide around 41,000 MWh of additional renewable energy each year. This amount of energy is enough to power approximately 20,000 homes in Chile, while also helping to reduce energy costs for consumers. ACCIONA estimates that, over the project period, the increase could lead to a total of 239 GWh of additional clean energy generation.
The DCM system addresses two significant challenges in the grid: congestion and curtailment. In 2025, Chile faced considerable limitations, leading to a curtailment of more than 6,000 GWh of renewable energy—an increase of 8% from the previous year. This translates to enough energy to power around 2.5 million homes. While new transmission lines typically take a decade or longer to construct, the DCM optimizes existing infrastructure swiftly.
DCM operates in real time, continuously ensuring reliability while adapting to the current conditions of the grid. This technology has already been implemented across 3 GW of generation capacity worldwide.
By combining grid data with advanced AI algorithms, DCM improves the management of power flow. It quickly resolves issues while working alongside traditional grid protection systems. This innovative deployment has been developed and validated through close collaboration with various stakeholders, including generators, transmission companies, and the Universidad de Santiago de Chile.
Fernando Llaver, CEO and co-founder of Splight, emphasized the project’s significance, stating, “Chile has demonstrated that the quickest way to improve transmission is by optimizing what you already have. DCM enhances grid performance every second, providing corridors that carry significantly more clean power.”
Jaime Toledo, CEO of ACCIONA Energía for South America, added that this advanced digitalization project allows for better use of existing transmission infrastructure. It supports the safe and efficient integration of more renewable energy while lowering consumer costs and minimizing greenhouse gas emissions from fossil-fuel-based generation.
Chile’s experience with the DCM serves as a potential model for addressing congestion issues in grids worldwide. In the U.S., for example, congestion costs reached $3.2 billion in 2025 in the PJM market alone. With projects often stuck in interconnection queues, the DCM offers a faster, less costly way to connect new energy sources and meet growing energy demands.
In summary, Splight’s implementation of DCM is poised to significantly enhance Chile’s renewable energy transmission capabilities, offering a promising solution not just for Chile but for congested energy grids around the globe.
