Punta Alcade power station

The Punta Alcade power station is a proposed 740-megawatt, $1.4 billion coal-fired thermoelectric project by Endesa for the coastal area of Huasco, Chile. The two 370-megawatt units are pproposed in Chile's Atacama region, close to Antofagasta Minerals' Los Pelambres mine, Barrick Gold's Pascua Lama, and Lumina Copper's Caserones mine, among others. The project is proposed to have the capacity to supply around 12 percent of energy demand in Chile's central energy grid.

Background
In June 2012 an environmental commission blocked Endesa's proposal, citing the project's potential to cause water and air pollution. The suspension was lifted in December 2012 by a Chilean ministerial group, after the company agreed to spend $40 million to reduce emissions. Endesa plans to start building the plant in 2014 and start commercial operations in 2018.

In August 2013 a Chilean appeals court blocked the construction of the project and ordered the ministerial group to reconvene and hear arguments against the Punta Alcalde project before reaching a new decision on the project's potential environmental impact.

In January 2014, in a split decision, the Supreme Court of Chile cleared the way for the project to proceed. (The Supreme Court's announcement of the decision, in Spanish, is available here.)

Citizens groups campaigning on the proposed plant

 * Oceana (English) and Spanish

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Chile and coal
 * Global use and production of coal
 * International Information on Coal