A consortium led by Iberdrola has been selected to participate in a tender for the construction and operation of the first long-distance HVDC power line in Chile that will support the connection of renewable energy in regions of the country with high levels of demand.
The 1500km 600kV power line will have a capacity of 3GW and run between the Kimal substation, in the Antofagasta region, and Lo Aguirre, in the Metropolitan region.
Iberdrola said that, if successful, the project will require over $2.5bn of investment.
Iberdrola will have a 60% stake in the consortium, which also includes Celeo, owned by the Spanish company Elecnor, and the Dutch pension fund APG.
The project also includes the construction of two converter stations, using Siemens technology, as well as upgrading work at existing substations.
Iberdrola said the process has officially started today with the submission of bids.
The winner will be announced on 13 December.
Commissioning of the line is estimated for the end of 2028.