The Environmental Assessment Service (SEA) recommended approving the Kimal – Lo Aguirre project.

The transmission initiative, which will connect the Antofagasta Region with the Metropolitan Region, seeks to bring about change in the national electricity system.

Specifically, the Kimal-Lo Aguirre mega transmission line could be one of the solutions to the energy transmission problem.

Sebastián Fernández, general manager of Conexión Kimal-Lo Aguirre, pointed out that “this milestone marks the completion of a key stage that brings us closer to obtaining the environmental qualification resolution, with which we will begin the process of obtaining sectoral permits. We are working to move forward with construction testing for the start of construction of a key project for the country’s energy transition.”

For her part, Valentina Durán, executive director of the SEA, said: “Given the scale and scope of this project, this was a very important challenge for the service, which formed a special evaluation team that was deployed in the field. This project has been evaluated with a 30% reduction in the usual evaluation times, and a consultation with indigenous peoples was also carried out.”

It should be noted that the project began its environmental processing in 2022 and its construction will extend from the municipality of María Elena, in Antofagasta, to Pudahuel, in the Metropolitan Region.

In total, it will cover 1,346 kilometers with more than 2,691 towers, a capacity of 3,000 megawatts, and an initial investment of US$1.48 billion.

It is projected to begin operating in 2029.

Following the publication of the assessment report, the state agencies with environmental jurisdiction that were part of the review have four business days to give their approval.

Additionally, as this is a project that crosses five regions of the country, it is the executive director of the SEA who must issue the environmental qualification resolution. She will have until November 13 to issue a ruling.