Chile’s southern Region VIII – already an energy power house for the nation – has at least nine energy projects on the drawing boards, including seven renewable energy power plants, two of which are wind-based.

 

Figures from Chile’s National Statistics Institution (INE) show that Region VIII represents 31 percent of the power in the nation’s Central Power Grid (SIC), with 2.9 gigawatts (GW) for the SIC’s total 9.3 GW capacity. Its share is mostly held on hydroelectric power plants. These includes Spanish energy giant Endesa’s Pangue and Ralco plants generating 1.427 GW together which are part of an overall of 2.412 (GW) capacity from every hydroelectric plants based in the region.

 

Five of the projects recently submitted to the National Environmental Commission’s (CONAMA) local office are hydro-electrical and are expected to add 496 MW to Region VIII’s capacity. They are awaiting the outcome of the government Environmental Impact Evaluation (SEIA) and are scheduled to be built on 2010.

Water Regional Director (S) Víctor Romero explains Region VIII is well-suited for hydro power due to the large number of rivers flowing from the Andes mountain range. “The current economic crisis notwithstanding, Chile’s economy is expected to grow five percent in the near term, therefore much more energy will be needed. And about half of Region VIII’s hydro potential has yet to be exploited,” Romero said.

Investors also seem to be interested in non-traditional energy. Two wind-based energy projects are among those that CONAMA has already approved. One is a project by British company Seawind in Punta Chome. It contemplates a wind energy farm with six turbines, producing up to 12 MW and costing US$15 million. The second already approved is the Energías Renovables del Bío Bío project, a local branch of the Spanish group Navarra, with ten turbines that would produce 20 MW at a cost of US$26 million (ST. Dec. 1, 2008).

Awaiting its SEIA approval are two new wind parks placed close to the seashore of Region VIII. The first is Parque Eólico Arauco – owned by American holding Hudson Clean Energy - which includes 50 turbines producing 2 MW each. The company’s regional general manager, José Manuel Corcelles, explained that the wind farm would take 126 tons of CO2 emissions out of the air each year, and up to 2.7 million tons within its 20-year lifespan.

The second wind project is Parque Eólico Lebu Sur. Its 54 turbines would generate 108 MW at a cost of US$459 million. This would be Lebu’s second wind farm. Bottle making company Cristalerías Toro has been operating a wind farm since 2006. It started with four turbines producing nearly 3 MW and now has 12 turbines generating up to 8 MW.

Cristalerías Toro Electric division manager Felipe Ribbeck explained that the wind farm is satisfying company’s expectation. “The wind farm represents 15 percent of the total energy the company needs and we are expecting to reach up to 9 MW, as so authorized by CONAMA. We took the decision to be known as a clean bottle making company,” Ribbeck said.

By Murielle G. Oisel