Chile: Eolica Cateao Restarts Permitting Process for 100-Megawatt Windfarm on Chiloe

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources Latin America (Cordoba, Argentina)--Eolica Cateao SpA (Providencia, Chile), a subsidiary of polypropylene producer Petroquim S.A. (Providencia), recently restarted the environmental evaluation process with Chile's Environmental Evaluation Service (SEA) for the 100-megawatt (MW) Cateao Wind Project, which is to be built on the Southern Island of Chiloe.

In April 2012, Eolica Cateao submitted an environmental impact assessment (EIA) to the SEA's Environmental Impact Evaluation Service (SEIA) for the construction of a windfarm, with 50 wind turbine generator sets of 2 MW each to be installed in two equal phases, plus a 23/110-kilovolt (kV) substation and a 26.6-kilometer, 110-kV overhead transmission line to evacuate the electricity produced to the Central Interconnected System (SIC). Less than two months later, the company voluntarily withdrew the project from the evaluation system, anticipating major conflicts with the local communities that would jeopardize the permitting process.

Since then, Eolica Cateao, with the assistance of the engineering company Pares y Alvarez Ingenieros Asociados Ltda (Hualpen, Chile), prepared an environmental impact study (EIS) that was submitted to SEIA last May 27, restarting the environmental permitting process. By presenting an EIS, the company expects to achieve a better relationship with the community and speed up the permitting process; unlike an EIA, an EIS not only assesses that the environmental impacts of the project are not significant and are an in compliance with local laws, but also stipulates different measures to mitigate and compensate them.

According to the plans, the construction of the first 50 MW could start by the end of 2015 or the beginning of 2016. The timing for the construction of the second phase will depend on the evolution of the electricity market and, especially, on the available capacity of the transmission line connecting the island with continent.

The latter is a major constraint to the exploitation of the important wind potential the island has, since this line is the only link between the island and the SIC and electricity market on the continent. Besides the Cateao project, there are five other wind projects in different degree of development in the island for a total of 676-MW: the 112-MW P.E. Chiloé (EcoPower Chile); the 74-MW P.E. Llanquihue (Ener-Renova); the 120-MW P.E. Ancud (Callis Energía Chile); the 118-MW P.E. Pichihue, which is to be built in two phases (Andes Mainstream); and the 252-MW P.E. San Pedro, which is to be built in five phases (Alba S.A.).

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