Ministry submits EIS for US$150mn Punilla dam project

The hydraulic works department of Chile's public works ministry has submitted to national environment authority Conama the environmental impact study (EIS) for the Punilla dam project, according to information from Conama's website. The EIS observations can be presented within 60 days, after which Conama will review comments and issue a statement in another 60 days. The ministry plans to put the US$150mn dam out to concession. Punilla would be built on the Ñuble river in Region VIII and would more than double irrigation coverage to 66,000ha and support a 94MW hydroelectric facility with a 104 cu. m/second flow. The 137m-high, concrete face rockfill dam would flood a 1,700ha area and would have a useful water storage volume of 600M cu. m. Punilla is one of three dam projects the ministry is reviewing. The others are the US$128mn Puntilla del Viento project in central Region V and the US$34mn Ancoa dam project in Region VII. The 650M cu. m, 119m-high Puntilla dam would irrigate the upper area of the Aconcagua river basin, 20km northeast of the city of Los Andes in Region V. The 120M cu. m. Ancoa dam would be built upstream from city Linares on the Ancoa river in Region VII and directly benefit some 40,000ha of croplands. Bidding processes for studies and the engineering design for Puntilla are expected next half, while an analysis into Ancoa's design is expected in July, a department official told BNamericas last month. The official said a decision has yet to be made as to which of the three projects will be the next one to be put out to tender. The concessions would run 25-30 years.