Chile Aims to Close All Coal-Fired Power Plants by 2035

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Written by Amir Richani for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Chile is moving forward with its decarbonization plan at a faster pace than previously expected. President Gabriel Boric has pledged to shut down all coal-fired power plants across Chile by 2035--five years ahead of the original target--as part of the new Accelerated Decarbonization bill, which is expected to be introduced in Parliament later this year.

The measure builds on Chile's 2019 coal retirement agreement with utilities and seeks to position the country as a regional leader in clean energy. According to a draft of the plan released in November 2024, Chile has retired five out of 13 coal power plants, including 11 units, since 2018.

Additionally, five more coal-fired power plants could be taken offline or converted before the end of 2026, including Engie's Andina Power Plant and AES' Nueva Ventanas and Angamos power plants.

Meanwhile, the Guacolda, Santa Maria and Cochrane power plants are expected to be closed or repurposed after 2030. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Plant Database can read detailed profiles of the Andina, Nueva Ventanas, Angamos, Guacolda, Santa Maria and Cochrane plants.

The plan outlines 45 measures to promote Chile's decarbonization and foster its development of new technologies. Chile aims to generate incentives for new energy projects and expedite administrative processes for the development of these technologies nationwide, and to foster an environment that users in investments for cleaner power generation capacity.

For coal-dependent communities, the state has designed a "just transition" strategy, offering job retraining programs and local investments.

According to Chile's National Commission of Energy, by May 2025, hydropower, solar, and wind plants accounted for roughly 23.5 gigawatts (GW), or 66% of the nation's total capacity.

The Energy Ministry's long-term energy plan forecasts a 15-GW to 20-GW increase in new solar and wind power generation and up to 2.9 GW in battery storage by 2030. By 2050, Chile is projected to generate more than 96% of its electricity from renewable sources.

Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Project and Plant databases can click here for a full list of detailed profiles for plants listed in this article.

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