La Higuera

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La Higuera run-of-river project supplies 155 MW of renewable energy to the Chilean grid. Commercial operation began August 2010.

The project

Hidroeléctrica La Higuera 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 hydro power plant in the Tinguiririca Valley, ca. 3 hrs drive south of Santiago. The project diverts water from the Tinguiririca River and its major tributary Azufre just upstream of their confluence. A 38 km long transmission line connects with Chile’s central grid at San Fernando.

Construction

Hidroeléctrica La Higuera S.A has entered into an Engineering Procurement Contract with Constructora Queiroz Galvão Sucursal Chile S.A., part of the Queiroz Galvão Group, a major Brazilian engineering, construction and project management company.

Production

The project supplies 155 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 Higuera will have a relatively higher production than other hydroelectric plants during the drier summer months.

Sustainable development

The La Higuera 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 Higuera provides employment, economic stimulus and improved infrastructure in an area with relatively poor local infrastructure and employment opportunities.

La Higuera has been approved and registered to generate carbon credits under the UN`s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Through generation of renewable energy, La Higuera will replace some of Chile`s thermal power production and the UN confirms the project will reduce global CO2 emissions by an estimated 478 000 tonnes annually. The CDM approval and registration was a decisive factor for the realisation of the project.