La Confluencia
La Confluencia run-of-river hydropower project will supply 158 MW of renewable energy to the Chilean grid.
The project
Hidroeléctrica La Confluencia S.A. is a 50/50 joint venture formed in June 2004 by Pacific Hydro Ltd. and SN Power to build, own and operate a run-of-river hydropower plant in the Tinguiririca Valley ca. 3hrs drive south of Santiago. The project diverts water from the Tinguiririca and Azufre rivers at an elevation of 1,450 m for discharge into the intake pond and for onward supply to the Higuera Project, further downstream. A 16-km-long transmission line connects to the La Higuera switchyard.
Construction
Construction is being carried out by Constructora Hochtief-Tecsa (CHT or Contractor) via an EPC contract.
Production
The project will provide 158 MW of renewable energy to Chile’s central grid, operating as a peaking plant in the winter and a base load plant in the summer. Because its water is mainly glacial and snowmelt, La Confluencia will have a relatively higher production than other hydro power plants during the drier summer months.
Sustainable development
The La Confluencia Project has been widely supported by national, regional and local authorities in Chile. The project works are largely underground in moderately arid and non productive landscape, with no indigenous communities affected. La Confluencia will provide employment, economic stimulus and improved infrastructure in an area with relatively poor local infrastructure and employment opportunities.
La Confluencia has been approved and registered to generate carbon credits under the UN`s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Through generation of renewable energy, La Confluencia will replace some of Chile`s thermal power production and the UN confirms the project will reduce global CO2 emissions by an estimated 423 000 tonnes annually. The CDM approval and registration was a decisive factor for the realisation of the project.