Chilean Energy Minister visits Curacautín geothermal plant
Tolhuaca volcano, Chile (source: flicr/ Moni_Caco, creative commons)
Abraham Ormad
11 May 2012
The Chilean energy minister, Jorge Bunster, in company with the main regional authorities has visited the facilities of the Curacautín geothermal plant.
Curacautín is the only geothermal project which is under development in Chile, currently in environmental assessment stage and is expected to begin operations in late 2015. The plant is located on the slopes of the volcano Tolhuaca representing an investment of US $ 330 million.
“Knowing projects like this and promote this type of energy is essential, especially when our energy policies strategy, point to a matrix increasingly diversified and less dependent,” said Minister Bunster.
“Geothermal energy has some advantages compared to other types of energy such as their ability to operate continuously with a capacity factor of around 95%,” insisting also on the Chilean’s potential for this type of power generation.
Curacautín geothermal plant
The project is being developed by GeoGlobal Chile SpA, subsidiary of GeoGlobal Energy LLC, a US-based company for mining, development and operation of geothermal resources. According to the company;
“The Tolhuaca geothermal concession is located in Regions VIII and IX in southern-central Chile, near the towns of Temuco, Valdivia, and Curacautín. The 9,000 ha concession is situated on the northwestern flank of the heavily glaciated, dormant Tolhuaca volcano in the southern volcanic zone of the Andes Mountains.”
“The project is expected to generate more than 75 MW of geothermal energy, given a verified temperature in excess of 275ºC. In turn the plant is anticipated to provide enough energy to power the neighboring towns of Temuco and Valdivia, which combined, have a population of nearly half-a-million people”
Sources
Written by A.Ormad
