Huge Chilean Hydro Project Awaits Environmental Approval

Construction on Chile's largest hydroelectric initiative, the 2,750-MW HidroAysén project, is awaiting final approval by the country's environmental agency, who is expected to respond by next month.

HidroAysén—a joint venture between Chilean power utilities Empresa Nacional de Electricidad SA and Colbun SA—submitted its environmental impact assessment on April 15. A decision by the Chilean government on the environmental license for the project is expected in May.

HidroAysén involves construction of five powerplants with an installed capacity of 2,750 MW; the project is located on the Baker and Pascua rivers in the Aysén region of Chile.

Transporting the power from Patagonia to the country's urban center would require construction of a 2,300-kilometer-long transmission line. Approval of the power lines is expected to be a serious hurdle and much of the environmental opposition to HidroAysén has focused on the transmission component.

Cost estimates for the project are $3.2 billion for the dams and $2 billion for the power lines. If approved, construction is slated to begin by the end of 2014 and be completed within five years.

C.J. Schexnayder is the Editor of ENR California and ENR Northwest. He has contributed to ENR's coverage of the construction industry for more than a decade. His work has focused on major projects, industry trends and emerging technology. He previously was the South America correspondent for the magazine based in Lima, Peru. During that time, he covered numerous large-scale infrastructure projects across the region including the Third Lane Expansion of the Panama Canal. In addition, CJ has been an award-winning newspaper reporter in Southern California, Texas and Louisiana.

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