Geothermal power in Chile
Encyclopedia
Chile represents one of the largest undeveloped geothermal areas of the world. Despite Chile's good economic performance
in the late 1980s and 1990s, geothermal energy did not develop, and Chile has been surpassed by other Latin America
n countries such as El Salvador
and Costa Rica
in terms of geothermal development and technology. Currently Chile does not produce any geothermal power.
The first geothermal explorations in Chile were carried out by Italians living in the city of Antofagasta
in 1908 but it was not until 1968 that systematic exploration started at in the north of the country. This explorations occurred amidst a global wave of research and development of the geothermal power. The exploration were carried out after an agreement between the Government of Chile and United Nations Development Programme
were state agency CORFO
(Production Development Corporation) created a comité to direct and carry out exploration in the northern regions of Chile. These explorations did however end in 1976 when the military government headed by Pinochet withdrew Chile from the cooperation program.
High prices of oil, unreliability in gas imports from Argentina and a continuously growing electricity demand have led the Chilean governments to further promote new energy sources in the late 1990s and 2000s. New interest in geothermal energy resulted in 2000 in the promulgation of the Law of Geothermal Concessions
that regulates exploitation and exploration of geothermal resources.
Chile's main areas of geothermal activity are located in the Andes of the Far North
and in the south-central areas of the country. Geothermal systems in Chile are associated with volcanoes, and as such areas lacking significant volcanism like Magallanes Region or Norte Chico
have limited power producing capacity. The main areas explored are the following listed from north to south, Puchuldiza, Apacheta, El Tatio
-La Torta, Calabozos
, Nevados de Chillán
and Cordón Caulle.
Presently, a project located in the concession area called San Gregorio, which is being explored by Geoglobal Energy Chile (GGE), is likely to be the first geothermal project to be materialized in Chile. The site has potential for 75 MW, and the company is preparing the environmental assessment studies, targeting to star construction early 2011.
As of 2005 the National Commission of Energy was considering the realization of three 100 MWe
projects in the next 10 years.
for building a geothermal power plant with support of CORFO
. Geotermia del Pacífico's studies show that two geothermal fields near Curacautín could be used for energy production with combined capacity of supplying 36,000 homes in 2010. One of the geothermal areas to be developed are located close to the Tolhuaca hotsprings and the other in Río Blanco Springs.
Miracle of Chile
The "Miracle of Chile" was a term used by free market Nobel Prize winning economist Milton Friedman to describe liberal and free market reorientation of the economy of Chile in the 1980s, 1990s and the purported benefits of his style of economic liberalism...
in the late 1980s and 1990s, geothermal energy did not develop, and Chile has been surpassed by other Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n countries such as El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
and Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
in terms of geothermal development and technology. Currently Chile does not produce any geothermal power.
The first geothermal explorations in Chile were carried out by Italians living in the city of Antofagasta
Antofagasta
Antofagasta is a port city in northern Chile, about north of Santiago. It is the capital of Antofagasta Province and Antofagasta Region. According to the 2002 census, the city has a population of 296,905...
in 1908 but it was not until 1968 that systematic exploration started at in the north of the country. This explorations occurred amidst a global wave of research and development of the geothermal power. The exploration were carried out after an agreement between the Government of Chile and United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
were state agency CORFO
CORFO
Production Development Corporation is a Chilean governmental organization that was founded in 1939, by President Pedro Aguirre Cerda, to promote economic growth in Chile...
(Production Development Corporation) created a comité to direct and carry out exploration in the northern regions of Chile. These explorations did however end in 1976 when the military government headed by Pinochet withdrew Chile from the cooperation program.
High prices of oil, unreliability in gas imports from Argentina and a continuously growing electricity demand have led the Chilean governments to further promote new energy sources in the late 1990s and 2000s. New interest in geothermal energy resulted in 2000 in the promulgation of the Law of Geothermal Concessions
Law of Geothermal Concessions
The Law of Geothermal Concessions is a Chilean law that regulates geothermal energy since 2000. The law deals with geothermal concessions, tenders, security, ownership relations the role of the state in relation to geothermal energy...
that regulates exploitation and exploration of geothermal resources.
Exploration and projects
Norte Grande
Norte Grande is a civil parish in the municipality of Velas on the island of São Jorge in the Azores; owing to the existence of an ecumenical faith community throughout its history, the parish has also taken on the name of its religious invokation...
and in the south-central areas of the country. Geothermal systems in Chile are associated with volcanoes, and as such areas lacking significant volcanism like Magallanes Region or Norte Chico
Norte Chico, Chile
The Norte Chico is one of the five natural regions on which CORFO divided continental Chile in 1950. Its northern border is formed by the limit with the Far North, on west lies the Pacific Ocean, by the east the Andes mountains and Argentina, and by the south the Zona Central natural region...
have limited power producing capacity. The main areas explored are the following listed from north to south, Puchuldiza, Apacheta, El Tatio
El Tatio
thumb|A geyser bubbling at El Tatio geyser fieldEl Tatio is a geyser field located within the Andes Mountains of northern Chile at 4,200 meters above mean sea level. Contrary to some reports, it is not the highest-elevation geyser field in the world. Puchuldiza Geyser Field, Chile, and possibly...
-La Torta, Calabozos
Calabozos
Calabozos is a Holocene caldera in central Chile's Maule Region . Part of the Chilean Andes' volcanic segment, it is considered a member of the Southern Volcanic Zone , one of the three distinct volcanic belts of South America...
, Nevados de Chillán
Nevados de Chillán
Nevados de Chillán is a group of stratovolcanoes located in the Andes of the Bío-Bío Region, Chile, and is one of the most active volcanoes in the region. It consists of three overlapping peaks, Cerro Blanco at the northwest and Volcán Viejo at the southeast, with Volcán Nuevo in the middle...
and Cordón Caulle.
Presently, a project located in the concession area called San Gregorio, which is being explored by Geoglobal Energy Chile (GGE), is likely to be the first geothermal project to be materialized in Chile. The site has potential for 75 MW, and the company is preparing the environmental assessment studies, targeting to star construction early 2011.
As of 2005 the National Commission of Energy was considering the realization of three 100 MWe
MWE
MWE may refer to:*Manufacturer's Weight Empty*McDermott Will & Emery*Midwest Express, an airline*Merowe Airport - IATA code*Multiword expressionMWe may refer to:*Megawatt electrical...
projects in the next 10 years.
El Tatio
In 2008 the Geotermia del Norte consortium –formed by ENAP, a petroleum Chilean State company, Codelco, the largest cooper mining in the world and Italy's Enel Green Power-, began the exploration in the field of the Zoquete, near the geysers in the region of Antofagasta, for the construction of a 50MW geothermal power plant of installed capacity. After months of exploration in September 2009, resulted in an operational malfunction in the well No. 10, which caused an artificial plume of 60 feet high. After this incident occurred, the company proceeded to stop operations and initiated exploratory protocol actions to stop the escape of vaporized material. After nearly a month of work in the area, on October 4 the company managed to stop the event, ending the plume. Subsequently, the Ministry of Energy in conjunction with the company, asked the United Nations Program for Development (UNDP) to issue a report to determine the potential environmental damage that could have caused this incident in the area of the geysers. The investigative committee was composed by four international multidisciplinary experts, who after an exhaustive investigation that lasted for 1 year, found that there was no environmental damage in the area or in the natural geysers of the zone.Tolhuaca-Curacautín
Since 2007 the Chilean company of American capital Geotermia del Pacífico is exploring a concession right near the town of CuracautínCuracautín
Curacautín, which means "Gathering Stone" in Mapudungun, is a commune and city in the Chilean province of Malleco. Curacautín is located 90 kilometres northeast of Temuco, in a valley near the volcanoes Tolhuaca, Lonquimay and Llaima, all of which can be seen from the city...
for building a geothermal power plant with support of CORFO
CORFO
Production Development Corporation is a Chilean governmental organization that was founded in 1939, by President Pedro Aguirre Cerda, to promote economic growth in Chile...
. Geotermia del Pacífico's studies show that two geothermal fields near Curacautín could be used for energy production with combined capacity of supplying 36,000 homes in 2010. One of the geothermal areas to be developed are located close to the Tolhuaca hotsprings and the other in Río Blanco Springs.