HidroAysén decided to postpone the project until next year
The activity will be reduced only as regards the defense of the Environmental Qualification Resolution and obtaining water rights.
HidroAysén reacted to the announcement of the energy agenda presented last week by the President of the Republic, Michelle Bachelet, and yesterday issued a public statement which says share the goals and objectives of this, but also suggests that the project will not advance until next year, when they are more certain of the definitions of the new authorities.
This is because one of the points of the government’s agenda states that seek “to develop a long-term Energy Policy 2015, validated by Chilean society, through a participatory process and regional.” Initiative also states that it is necessary to carry out a process of energy territorial planning for the future hydroelectric development, which will depart from mapping and basin analysis, based on hydrological and geological technical, environmental, economic and socio-cultural criteria.
As a result, HidroAysén reported that “await the times and instances required for this purpose. The company is confident that this decision will facilitate constructive discussion on energy resources that the country needs to develop, in the context of those proceedings “, appropriated the document.
A second point-warns-on time, the company has become part of the invalidation process initiated by the present Committee of Ministers on decisions related to the HydroAysén Environmental Qualification Resolution (“RCA”) adopted by the Committee of the previous administration in its meeting on January 30th, 2014.
Finally, the firm says it has always assumed that is promoting a project of “long-winded” involving several stages of development. “In this regard, it is necessary to emphasize that the aforementioned RCA, as well as water use rights, concessions, applications, studies, engineering, permits and real estate, among others, are assets acquired and developed by the company during the last eight years under the current institutional framework and in accordance with the highest technical and environmental international standards, and represent, therefore, necessary and valuable elements for the development of the hydroelectric potential of the Baker and Pascua rivers in Aysén region”, said .
Reduced activity
According to reports, the stoppage of the project includes the removal of the search for alternative energy transportation, as well as the development of additional studies and the and obtaining sectoral permits after obtaining the RCA.
On the contrary, what continue to be so would be the processes and procedures for obtaining additional water rights required for the project. In addition, they will continue to meet the commitments that the company took on RCA, but pending the final decision of the Committee of Ministers (to be resolved in June). To suffer another setback, the company would ask suspend performance thereof, including community work done today in the region.
Source: Diario Financiero
