Chile: Coal phase out plan

The government and the country’s four largest generators—AES Gener, Colbún, Enel, and ENGIE—reach a voluntary agreement to close their coal units by 2040. Power companies agree to a 'schedule' that would see the retirement of 8 of its oldest plants with 1,047 MW of installed capacity by 2024. Six plants are to be taken offline by the end of 2020.

French energy giant Engie announces it will refit 3 of its newest coal-fired plants in the country by the middle of the decade. The 377-MW Infraestructura Energética Mejillones (launched in 2019) will be modified to run on natural gas while the Andina and Hornitos plants (169-MW and 170-MW, respectively), launched in 2011, will run on biomass, the company said. AES Gener and Enel also announce their plans to bring forward their earlier commitments to close plants by 2040.

Capacity that will now be phased out by 2025, based on the announcements of the 3 big power companies.

Virginia-headquartered AES Corp. signs agreement with the Chilean government to retire 4 coal-fired power plants, with total installed capacity of 1,097 MW “as soon as” January 2025 if supported by grid requirements. The coal closures, which are outlined in what AES described as a “voluntary” retirement plan, represent the “single largest coal retirement announcement by any power company in Chile to date” and includes roughly 20% of the country’s installed coal capacity, AES said. The plants are all located in Mejillones, on the northern coast, and Puchuncaví, in central Chile, in areas of “high industrial concentration".