Chile and coal

Chile has a relatively minor coal industry with little domestic consumption for electricity and no exports. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that in 2007 only 288,000 tonnes was mined, down from 732,000 in 2005 and only directly employed 696 people. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that in 2009 Chile imported 680,000 short tones of steaming coal from the U.S., which accounted for the bulk of U.S. coal exported to South America.

In January 2011, it was reported that 48% of the power projects to be inaugurated in Chile between 2011 and 2014 will use coal as the main fuel. More than $13.5 billion will be invested in coal-fired plants in the country through 2014.

Coal mining
The USGS lists coal mines that were operating in 2007 as being:

New coal mines
In July 2010, the Minera Isla Reisco company - a joint venture between Chilean fuel distributor and forest company conglomerate Copec and the shipping company Ultramar - announced that its new Mina Invierno coal mine, in the country's Southern Region X11, would replace "close to 30% of [coal] imports." It is one of three coal concessions on the island that was privatised in 2008. Along with reserves in Rio Eduardo and Elena, the three sites are believed to host more than a billion tons of reserves (estimated at 1,302 million tons in 2010). The largest of these deposits lies in the Bío-Bío region, which also hosts almost half Chile's remaining forests. A number of petroleum-fired electric generators have also recently been converted to coal.

The coal power project has estimates of a $530 million joint investment by Ultramar and Copec, which has the president as a major investor. President Pinera holds about 800,000 shares in Copec but has argued his stock is held in a blind trust. Critics say the president will still profit from any appreciation in the stock price, as he has done in previous stock movements in Copec since he came to power in 2010.

In August 2011, a specially appointed government commission of Chile gave the green light for work to begin on the first of five mines on the Isla Riesco, near scenic Patagonia, despite accusations of President Sebastian Pinera's vested interests and an opposition campaign. The country's chief national oversight body, the Comptroller General, cleared Pinera of any conflict of interest in the deal but couldn't silence critics. Local residents fear pollution will harm residents' health, while campaigner Chile Sustenable, a non-government organization, said the mines would increase carbon emissions by 360 percent. Opponents of the project plan to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Up to 59 percent of planned new power generation capacity in Chile is set to be coal-based. National Energy Commission data indicated Chile is already the third largest CO2 emissions polluter in South America.

Coal fired-power stations
In a presentation to investors in March 2010, the main Cheilean power generators, Endesa, stated that it projected that there would be "9,400 MW of new capacity during next 10 years" in Chile and that "3,300 MW are already under construction". Of the new supply, Endesa projected that coal would account for 38% of the new capacity.

Existing coal fired power stations

 * Bocamina power station, a 128 MW plant operated by Empresa Nacional De Electricidad.
 * Huasco power station, four 152 MW thermo plants owned by Chilean generator Guacolda.

Coal-fired power stations financed by international public investment institutions
Coal-fired power stations financed by international public investment institutions include:
 * Central Termoelectrica Andino power station

Proposed coal-fired power stations

 * Bocamina II power station, a 370 MW plant proposed by Empresa Nacional De Electricidad;
 * Campiche power station, a 270 MW plant by AES Gener near the city of Valparaiso;
 * Castilla power station, a proposed 2,100 megawatt (MW) coal-fired power station to be operated by MPX Energia SA;
 * Cochrane power station, a proposed 472 MW plant to be located in Mejillones in Chile’s northern region;
 * Complejo Termico Santa Maria de Coronel, a 343 MW plant proposed by Colbun SA;
 * Energia Minera power station, a proposed 1050 MW coal-fired thermoelectric project by Codelco, Chile's state-run copper miner;
 * Huasco 5, a fifth unit for the existing Huasco power station;
 * Infraestructura Energética, a proposed 750 MW plant by Suez Energy for Mejillones in Region II;
 * Pacifico power station, a proposed 350 MW coal station for Chile's northern region I by Chilean firm Río Seco;
 * Patache power station, a proposed 110 MW plant to be located in northern Chile's region I;
 * Pirquenes power station, a proposed 50 MW coal and biomass-fueled plant for the Arauco province;
 * Punta Alcade power station is a proposed 740-megawatt, $1.4 billion coal-fired thermoelectric project by Endesa for the coastal area of Huasco;
 * RG Generacion power station, a 700-megawatt power station in Coronel, in the Biobio region.

Related SourceWatch articles

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