Colbún, the second-largest power generation company in Chile, has obtained environmental approval for the 925 MW Inti Pacha solar project in the municipality of María Elena, in the Antofagasta Region. The company had started the environmental impact assessment for the project in February 2020. The project will be built in three phases.
Colbún has a portfolio of 5 renewable projects in an advanced stage of development totalling 1,800 MW, including Inti Pacha. Earlier in February 2020, the company submitted the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the Horizon wind project to the Environmental Assessment Service of the Antofagasta Region. The wind project will include up to 140 wind turbines and will have an installed power capacity of 607 MW to 980 MW. The project was awarded to Colbun on the basis of a 30-year concession in September 2017 and will be one of the largest wind projects in the country when commissioned (expected in late 2024).
In January 2020, the group announced plans to invest US$1bn by 2022, in order to add around 4 GW of renewable power capacity – it would double its current power capacity – and to meet its power supply commitments. Most of this amount will be dedicated to the construction of the Horizon wind project, with investments in several renewable projects in Chile, such as the Solar Garden PV projects in the Tarapacá region, the Diego de Almagro Sur in the Atacama region and the Machicura project in the Maule region.