El Bato dam construction begins next month

Construction of the US$36mn El Bato irrigation dam in Chile's Region IV begins next month, public works undersecretary Clemente Perez said Tuesday. Perez made the announcement after signing an agreement with Alvaro Daneri, manager of concessionaire Embalse Illapel, which won the construction and 25-year operating contract in 2001. Technical differences had kept the project from moving forward. The 25.5M cu. m. dam will be built on the Illapel River and irrigate 3,600ha. It is the first irrigation project offered to the private sector under the concession scheme. Mendes Junior, Sical Brunol and Ingecol make up Embalse Illapel.