ISA Interchile seeks to narrow the gap between renewable energy generation and available infrastructure to transport it to major consumption centers. The company proposes to increase the capacity of the Cardones-Polpaico line from 1,700 MVA to 3,100 MVA.
Advancing towards a sustainable energy grid with infrastructure that allows for the exploitation of Chile’s renewable potential is the great challenge that our country faces today to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
With an investment of nearly US$1.7 billion, ISA Interchile proposes to increase Chile’s electric transmission system capacity through a re-powering of the current Cardones-Polpaico transmission line. This would mean using the current infrastructure and adding innovation, allowing for an almost 85% increase in power.
When analyzing the energy projection of the Chilean transmission system, the need to find alternatives to increase Chile’s electric transmission capacity has been noted, considering the accelerated increase in the number of generation projects that are currently under construction or are about to be declared under construction. This is the problem that ISA Interchile seeks to solve with a project that will provide greater flexibility to the system in the short term.
By developing and implementing innovative technology such as power electronics, ISA Interchile seeks to enhance the Cardones-Polpaico transmission line, a project that was recently presented to the national electrical coordinator (CEN). This would expand its capacity from 1,700 MVA to 3,100 MVA, through the installation of state-of-the-art technology in substations, re-tensioning of conductors, and the conversion of one circuit to HVDC direct current. This project represents an investment of US$1.648 million.
According to Gabriel Melguizo, general manager of ISA Interchile, the proposed initiative “would allow us to take a significant step towards a cleaner grid and thus support the commitment to decarbonization. Chile is a very important market for us, has strong institutions and spaces for investment, and ISA Interchile wants to continue to invest in this country because we are committed to its development.”
ISA Interchile’s experts see the re-powering of the Cardones-Polpaico line as an efficient, safe, and quickly implementable way to increase the existing infrastructure’s capacity with cutting-edge and low-impact technology on communities and the environment.
