Chile re-auctions US$100mn in grid projects, updates schedule for US$300mn process

Chile’s grid coordinator CEN was due to launch from Friday an auction of transmission projects that were previously awarded but never completed.

A notice published in local press outlines 32 grid expansion projects of various kinds, the biggest originally requiring outlay of US$11.7 million and involving work at the Plantas substation in Atacama region.

The notice is available in the Documents box at the top of the page.

The second biggest by required outlay is a US$10.4mn capacity expansion of 2x220kV line Ciruelos-Cautín in Los Ríos region.

Projects correspond to decrees No. 293, 418 and 198 and transmission regulation article No. 157.  

Combined the 32 projects involve outlay of around US$100mn.

Bidding rules for the process, the third of 2024, were due for publication as of Friday on CEN’s website.

Grid officials have previously underscored the importance of expanding zonal transmission infrastructure, particularly to bolster supply to the industrial sector in the central zone of the country.

Last half power generators and transmission firms proposed 304 grid projects as part of a process to build an annual transmission plan corresponding to 2024.

CEN launched its first transmission auction of 2024 in March, followed by a second in June.

Bids for the first auction, corresponding to decrees No. 4/2024 and No. 200/2022 and transmission regulation article No. 157, are due by September 10.

Second auction of 2024

CEN recently published an updated schedule for the second auction, for which bids are now due by 20 November.

This process corresponds to decrees No. 58/2024 and No. 04/2024. Projects involve power line and substation work.

CEN is offering national and zonal projects.

In terms of new national projects, three are offered – two of them new substations and one, the biggest on the list, a US$35.3mn flow-control system for sections of 220kV link Las Palmas-Centella.

Regarding new zonal initiatives, 12 are being offered, with the biggest US$52.6mn substation Lo Campino. 

A national expansion project, involving substation work, for around US$1.23mn is being offered along with four zonal expansion initiatives, the largest requiring US$4.48mn and involving work at a CMPC cellulose plant substation.

Overall required outlay for the 20 projects is around US$325mn.

Bidding rules can be downloaded from the Documents box at the top of the page.