ENAP is negotiating with Codelco an agreement to develop a LNG plant for 760 MW
The Operation considers the eventual purchase of the business and its potential association with a private actor. The initiative would make viable the expansion to 20 million cubic meters per day of LNG Quintero Plant.
The National Petroleum Company (ENAP) is advancing its task of finding ways to encourage greater presence of gas in the energy matrix, as proposed by the Government in the framework of the Agenda of Energy.
And an important step in this strategy is the recently opened negotiations with Codelco to develop, and eventually acquire the power plant Energía-Minera.-
This coal unit belongs to Codelco, has a generating capacity of 1,050 MW and has environmental qualification resolution (RCA) in force since 2008.
ENAP is intended to drive this generator, but with two structural changes.
The first is to change the font type of energy used, from using liquefied natural gas (LNG) and not coal. The second is to reduce its capacity to 760 MW, equivalent to Ralco (690 MW) or somewhat less than twice of Bocamina II (360 MW), both from Endesa.-
The Energy Mining project is located in the grounds of Codelco’s Ventanas division in the industrial area of Quintero.
The energy that would generate this unit would connect to the Central Interconnected System (SIC) through a line of eight kilometers 500 kV.
Transforming Energía Minera into a LNG Plant would ensure the demand for this fuel and would give viability to the enlargement of Quintero LNG terminal, where ENAP has 20% share-going from 15 to 20 million cubic meters per day.
The ENAP’s idea would include a private partner in the development of this thermoelectric hopefully a new player in the market. One option would be the Japanese multinational Mitsui.
Yoshiaki Mukai, President of the firm which take part in the country involved in the mining, salmon, automotive and agricultural distribution business, said yesterday to “El Mercurio” they are considering a possible partnership with ENAP to address together the LNG business.
The reformulation
The initiative would boost ENAP would require a new Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), although using the information already collected by the mining copper company.
The project also would provide an alternative of cleaner and sustainable generation for Ventanas, which has constant problems for the high levels of pollution posing the territory by the concentration of industries.
The agreement would allow the state oil company to exploit synergies, because on one side would use existing capacity that is currently in the plant and on the other hand would develop consumer gas customers.-
Source: El Mercurio
