Chile's environmental approvals and submissions drop in January

A total of 20 projects involving investments of US$1.49bn obtained environmental approval in Chile during January, a drop compared with December. 

In December last year, there were 27 initiatives approved entailing combined investments of US$3.25bn, mainly due to a drop in mining investments.

The figures were also lower than in January 2024, when 29 initiatives were approved for a total of US$1.62bn, according to the monthly report from environmental evaluation agency SEA.

	Dec 2024		Jan 2025		Variation
Sector	Approvals	Investment	Approvals	Investment	Approvals	Investment
Agriculture	1	US$6.2mn	0	0	-1	-US$6.2mn
Energy	8	US$384mn	11	US$1.09bn	+3	+US$708mn
Equipment	0	0	0	0	0
Forestry	0	0	0	0	0
Transport Infrastructure	0	0	0	0	0
Water infrastructure	0	0	0	0	0
Port Infrastructure	1	US$2.5mn	0	0	-1	-US$2.5mn
Real estate	10	US$253mn	5	US$294mn	-5	+US$41.3mn
Factory facilities	1	US$2.8mn	0	0	-1	-US$2.8mn
Mining	3	US$2.37bn	2	US$4.55mn	-1	-US$2.37bn
Fishing and aquaculture	0	0	1	US$2.2mn	+1	+US$2.2mn
Environmental cleanup	1	US$5.82mn	0		-1	-US$5.82mn
Others	2	US$322mn	1	US$100mn	-1	-US$222mn
Total	27	US$3.35bn	20	US$1.49bn	-7	-US$1.86bn

The biggest projects approved in January this year were: 

– Electrification of mining trucks at Escondida Norte (US$250mn);
– Zaldivar solar power plant (US$238mn);
– Vernazza solar power plant (US$285mn);
– Algarrobal solar power plant (US$220mn).

In terms of submissions, 60 projects were presented for review last month, down from 68 in December. The total associated investments, meanwhile, fell to US$4.64bn from US$20.2bn, as the last month of 2024 featured massive projects such as AES Andes' US$10bn INNA green hydrogen initiative. 

In January 2024, there were 53 projects submitted involving investments of US$5.74bn.

	Dec 2024		Jan 2025		Variation
Sector	Submitted	Investment	Submitted	Investment	Submitted	Investment
Agriculture	1	US$11.2mn	1	US$6.663mn	0	-US$4.57mn
Energy	26	US$5.41bn	22	US$2.81bn	-4	-US$2.60bn
Equipment	0	0	0	0	0	0
Forestry	0	0	0	0	0	0
Transport Infrastructure	1	US$371mn	0	0	-1	-US$371mn
Water Infrastructure	4	US$41mn	2	US$280mn	-2	US$229mn
Port Infrastructure	0	0	2	US$220,000	2	US$220,000
Real Estate	13	US$480mn	11	US$241mn	-2	-US$239mn
Factory Facilites	0	0	2	US$135mn	2	US$135mn
Mining	6	US$3.62bn	8	US$1.11bn	2	-US$2.51bn
Fishing and Aquaculture	7	US$3.65mn	3	US$13.5mn	-4	US$9.86mn
Environmental Cleanup	5	US$59.3mn	5	US$7.05mn	0	-US$52.2mn
Others	5	US$10.18bn	4	US$37.3mn	-1	-US$10.1bn
Total	68	US$20.2bn	60	US$4.64bn	-8	-US$15.5bn

The biggest projects submitted during January were

– Polpaico BESS energy storage project (US$225mn);
– Kanut energy storage system (US$255mn);
– Prospection of Cachorro minerals deposit (US$220mn);
– Modification to Aconcagua desalination plant (US$280mn);
– Los Colorados mine modifications and operational continuity (US$344mn);
– Marimaca copper oxides project (US$500mn);
– Mila transmission line and BESS energy storage (US$263mn);
– Las Cañas BESS storage system (US$300mn);
– Lena transmission line and BESS energy storage (US$527mn).

The government submitted a bill to shorten environmental review times last year, though it remains in legislative debate and there are doubts over a key provision to scrap a ministerial comittee that acts as an appeals body in these processes.