The Enel Group’s Chilean company Enel Chile today disconnected and ceased operations at Unit II of its Bocamina coal-fired power plant, located in the municipality of Coronel, after receiving authorization from the Chilean National Energy Commission. With this milestone, which follows the closure of Tarapacà in 2019 and Bocamina’s Unit I in 2021, Enel becomes the first power company in the country to stop using coal for its generation operations, 18 years ahead of the original 2040 goal set within Chile’s 2019 National Decarbonization Plan.For the full decarbonization of its generation mix, Enel Chile implemented a Just Energy Transition strategy, which incorporates technological, social and environmental solutions to ensure that the shut-down of the company’s coal fleet was carried out maximizing value for the plants’ employee, contractors and the local communities.In line with this strategy, the closure of Bocamina’s Unit II includes relocation options for the plant’s employees, the implementation of a broad series of initiatives for the social, economic and entrepreneurial development of the Coronel community, as well as an ambitious revegetation project to transform the 10-hectare area of the plant’s ash landfill, which will no longer be used, into a native forest. In addition, in line with circular economy principles, the company is studying various alternatives to reuse the facility’s assets in order to provide new life to the site and create development opportunities for the area.Enel Chile continues to grow its renewable footprint: between August and September, the company started commercial operations at two solar plants, Azabache and Sol de Lila, for a total of 221 MW and another approximately 500 MW of renewable capacity are expected to be connected in the coming months.
The Enel Group’s Chilean company Enel Chile today disconnected and ceased operations at Unit II of its Bocamina coal-fired power plant, located in the municipality of Coronel, after receiving authorization from the Chilean National Energy Commission. With this milestone, which follows the closure of Tarapacà in 2019 and Bocamina’s Unit I in 2021, Enel becomes the first power company in the country to stop using coal for its generation operations, 18 years ahead of the original 2040 goal set within Chile’s 2019 National Decarbonization Plan.For the full decarbonization of its generation mix, Enel Chile implemented a Just Energy Transition strategy, which incorporates technological, social and environmental solutions to ensure that the shut-down of the company’s coal fleet was carried out maximizing value for the plants’ employee, contractors and the local communities.In line with this strategy, the closure of Bocamina’s Unit II includes relocation options for the plant’s employees, the implementation of a broad series of initiatives for the social, economic and entrepreneurial development of the Coronel community, as well as an ambitious revegetation project to transform the 10-hectare area of the plant’s ash landfill, which will no longer be used, into a native forest. In addition, in line with circular economy principles, the company is studying various alternatives to reuse the facility’s assets in order to provide new life to the site and create development opportunities for the area.Enel Chile continues to grow its renewable footprint: between August and September, the company started commercial operations at two solar plants, Azabache and Sol de Lila, for a total of 221 MW and another approximately 500 MW of renewable capacity are expected to be connected in the coming months.
