Revista Nueva Minería

Promoting the use of LNG and the interconnection of the SIC and SING systems, are some of the measures the government will give life to materialize Energy Agenda launched a month ago. This was announced by President Michelle Bachelet in the framework of the Annual Dinner of the sector.

It was the most expected instance of the year for the electric sector. Attended by over 700 people, was held the VI Energy Annual Dinner organized by the Association of Electric Companies AG and the Guild Association of Chile Generators. Event takes place since 2009 and brings together unions from generation, transmission and electric distribution.

The activity was attended by the President of the Republic, Michelle Bachelet; Energy Minister, Máximo Pacheco, Subsecretaries, parliamentary from commissions of Mining and Energy, Finance, Environment and Economy, among other representatives of the industry.

At the meeting, Rodrigo Castillo, Executive Director of Electric Companies AG focused his speech on industry concerns about the high cost of energy, which affects the lives and homes of citizens. But the main factor was in the post industry challenges together with the new government’s energy agenda.

Also, the Executive Vice President of the Association of Generators, René Muga, focused his speech on the urgent need to boost investment in the electricity sector “to build the infrastructure that the progress of Chile needs,” he said .-

Accelerating energy agenda

“They will put the accelerator to implement the measures contained in the energy agenda.” With this message, President Michelle Bachelet gave the go-ahead to launch initiatives that will give life to the new government roadmap on energy.

In this context, Bachelet said that necessary efforts will be made “to advance in a year,” the operationalization of trunk transmission lines that strengthen the system of the north, and the expansion of new lines from the Bio Bio Region to the Midwest.

The president also announced the decision to interconnect the Norte Grande systems (SING) with the Central Interconnected System (SIC). That is why the technical studies and departed to realize that work already started. “In the first half of 2017 an injection of energy from the pole of Mejillones generation towards Cardones substation in northern SIC”, will be materialized, he said.

Also, the head of state pledged to promote the use of LNG (liquefied natural gas) for electricity generation and reported that the state oil company ENAP is negotiating a 10-year contract term supply of natural gas, allowing the partial operation of a combined cycle.