| Title | Chile 2020-2023 country up-date: the slow progress of geothermal development and future perspectives. |
|---|---|
| Authors | Diego Morata, Patricio Alarcón, Diego Aravena, Bárbara Bravo, Karin García, Nicolás Hurtado, Mauricio Muñoz, Nicolás Pérez, Pablo Valdenegro, Sofía Vargas |
| Year | 2023 |
| Conference | World Geothermal Congress |
| Keywords | Chile, country up-date, electricity generation, direct use, social barriers |
| Abstract | Geothermal systems in the Chilean Andean Cordillera are mostly controlled by the different magmatic and tectonic processes related with the continuous subduction of the Nazca and Antarctic plates under the South American Plate. Due to this particular geological context, Chile has been considered as one of the more interesting geothermal prospects in the world. In this sense, in 2017 the first geothermal power plant of South America was installed by Geotérmica del Norte (GDN), a joint venture between the Italian Enel Green Power and the National Chilean Oil Company (ENAP). In the north of Chile, two binary units of 24 MWe each were installed (Cerro Pabellón geothermal system), providing a total of 48 MWe to the Chilean electricity matrix. During 2019-2022, a new binary unit will be installed in the same geothermal system, with an additional power capacity of 33 MWe. Consequently, by the end of 2022, Cerro Pabellón will be the only geothermal power plant in South America, providing a total of 81 MWe of clean and sustainable energy to the Chilean electricity system. The reported 2020-2023 period was dominated by of the Covid -19 pandemic, and exploration in other Chilean geothermal systems was very limited. In fact, only Transmark company developed new exploration campaigns with the aim of drilling production wells in the Adobera project (Southern Chile). Unfortunately, local opposition in 2022 prevented the drilling program and hold the project. Concerning direct use, from 2019 a modification to the Chilean geothermal law has been presented in parliament. The aim of this modification is to facilitate shallow geothermal development in Chile. To date, this new amendment to the law is under review and there is no precise date for the final acceptance Nevertheless, different pilot projects have been developed by the Andean Geothermal Center of Excellence (CEGA) funded by Regional Governments and the Ministry of Energy. These projects demonstrate the benefits of shallow geothermal for society and local communities to provide heating in public schools and greenhouses with territorial relevance, offering a clean alternative for energy autonomy in remote areas from urban centers. Most of the projects were developed in Southern Chile; however few projects are under development in the northern Chile to provide heating and cooling of public spaces. In this Chile country up-date, an update of the different geothermal exploration, exploitation, applications and development activities, for the production of electrical energy, geothermal heat pumps and direct uses will be presented. Likewise, a social analysis about the opportunity of direct use of geothermal energy to face energy poverty and future perspectives in Chile at the national and regional levels will be included. Finally, the main activities related to capacity building in the country will be summarized. |