SANTIAGO, Apr 08, 2009 -- Xinhua
Chile has invested 21 billion U.S. dollars in the energy sector, with some projects for more than 7 billion dollars currently under construction, Chilean Energy Minister Marcelo Tokman said Wednesday.
In an interview with Xinhua, Tokman said these projects include thermal and hydroelectricity centrals, re-gasify plants, eolian plants, transmission lines, substations and port works.
"The offer on electric generation in the country has been increased with new projects that have started to work and with the dual centrals of combined cycles, which previously only operated with gas and now they can do it with diesel," said the minister.
Tokman said the first freight of natural liquefied gas will arrive in June to the re-gasify plant in Quintero port in Valparaiso region of central Chile, which will diversify the energy matrix and will allow the Central Interconnected System (SIC) to be independent of the Argentine gas supply.
Also another re-gasify plant is being built in Mejillones in the north of Chile, which will start working at the beginning of 2010, Tokman added.
The end of the Penalolen backup plant construction is added to these projects.
Tokman said that with this facilities, Chile will have an emergency system able to satisfy all the demand in winter, even when it reaches the highest levels.
Tockman also made reference to the creation of the Energy Ministry, which is a law project in the Senate.
"We believe that the procedure will be finished this year and that in 2010 we will have an Energy Ministry completely working," he said.
Since 2004, Chile has faced cuts of gas supply coming from Argentina, which put the electric generation on grave difficulties.
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