This project is part of the SDG 7 and 11

The El Médano, Las Garzas and Curillinque communities in the San Clemente area of the Maule Region are located along the Maule River basin, high in the mountainous sector of the Andes range, an area of influence of the Los Condores hydroelectric plant currently under construction. These communities lack continuous, quality power supply because of their distance from most power distribution centers and the lack of local infrastructure to provide the service. The main characteristic of these places is the irregularity of the land and roads which means that local authorities cannot property respond to the needs of the communities and close the gaps that place dozens of families in a situation of energy deficiency.

The only method available to local inhabitants to access electricity is using small generators that run on fossil fuels which, in turn, creates environmental problems that arise from their use, as they are quite noisy when in operation and have high maintenance costs and risks associated with moving fuel along an extensive international route. El Médano, included in this project, is one of the most populated sectors, with 49 homes . It is located 103 km from the regional capital and 83 km from the town of San Clemente. However, it is only 3 km away from the Isla Power Plant intake, operated by the Company.

Currently, the El Médano, Las Garzas and Curillinque communities have only, on average, three hours of electricity under the current local generation system.

It is in these conditions and in line with the Company´s commitment to reducing the existing gaps around Energy Poverty and, at the same time contributing to the SDGs 17 related to access to energy, that Enel is implementing an electrification project that involves the construction of network infrastructure that will connect the 74 families living in the three communities. The project consists of more than 8 km of Low Voltage (LV) and Medium Voltage (MV) network infrastructure. The electricity supply will come from Enel´s hydroelectric plants in the basin where these communities reside.

The progress of the project is currently at around 98% (as of December 31, 2020) and the system is expected to start operating in April 2021. At the same time, different alternatives related to the definition of infrastructure and power supply administration and management are being evaluated in conjunction with local players.

Creating Shared Value Project (CSV)

Work Streams:

Energy – access, quality and equity (see more)

Multidimensional Poverty Variable:

Housing and surroundings

KPI y Results

2020 Beneficiaries: 270

This project directly contributes to the well-being of the Maule Power Plants´ neighbors where a significant part of the country´s hydraulic energy is generated, this way eliminating barriers to accessing a continuous electricity supply. Today, local inhabitants will not only be able to access electricity 24 hours a day, but they will also consume renewable energy from the hydraulic power plants that Enel operates in the basin. For decades, the energy they used came from small generators that are run on fossil fuels that, apart from creating air population from the emissions, also led to noise pollution in a pristine sector of the Maule Mountain Range.

Once the infrastructure and supply administration and management model are established, community members will pay Enel from their generation assets for their electricity consumption.

Electrification Project of the Peuenche Route Communities

KPI y Results