Chile grants definitive concession for the 220 kV Kimal electrical link

The Ministry of Energy granted Conexión Kimal Lo Aguirre S.A. the definitive electrical concession to establish the transmission project called “Kimal 2x220 kV Alternating Current Link”, in the Antofagasta Region, Tocopilla province, María Elena commune. The decision is formalized through exempt decree No. 194, dated August 12, 2026, published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Chile No. 44,538, on Monday, August 31, 2026 (CVE 2862429).

The administrative act, signed by order of the President of the Republic by the Acting Minister of Energy, Hugo Briones Fernández, and transcribed by the head of the Legal Division of the Undersecretariat of Energy, Andrea Verónica Soto Araya, is based on the General Law of Electrical Services (DFL No. 4/20,018, of 2006) and the report from the Superintendency of Electricity and Fuels (SEC) contained in its official letter No. 342120, dated July 17, 2026.

A link in the Kimal–Lo Aguirre HVDC line

The link is part of the larger new work “New Kimal – Lo Aguirre HVDC Line”, whose objective is to increase the security of the national transmission system, allow large energy transfers between the Northern Zone and the Center-South, eliminate congestion, and reduce energy curtailment from solar and wind plants.

The project consists of a link with two 220 kV transmission lines, each with a double circuit, connecting the Kimal Substation and its projected expansion with the Kimal Converter Substation, to inject energy into the National Electric System (SEN). Its main characteristics are:

• Total length of circuits 1 and 2: 2,160.96 meters (concession of 1,964.92 m).
• Total length of circuits 3 and 4: 3,036.43 meters (concession of 2,854.16 m).
• Total budget for the works: $329,018,132,691.
• Concession granted for an indefinite term.
• Estimated execution of works in 42 months, starting 180 days after publication.

Easements and line crossings

Along its route, the project will cross a government property; therefore, an electrical easement is established over the property “Extensión de Terrenos Calama”, belonging to the Treasury of Chile, in the commune of María Elena. The layout includes crossings and parallelisms with existing lines from Transelec S.A. and Sociedad Austral de Transmisión Troncal S.A., including the 2x500 kV Changos–Kimal and 1x220 kV Tocopilla–Kimal lines, among others.

Obligations of the concessionaire

The concessionaire must provide the electrical energy transport service under the quality and continuity conditions set by law and regulations, and completely remove the installations when they become obsolete. The concession does not exempt the party from compliance with environmental legislation prior to the execution of the works.

The publication of this decree consolidates the regulatory framework of a critical infrastructure for the Chilean electrical system, which will connect the generating north with the consumption center of the country and will reinforce the security and efficiency of the supply in a context of increasing participation of renewable energies.

Source: Official Gazette of the Republic of Chile, No. 44,538, Monday, August 31, 2026, Particular Norms, page 1 of 4 (official reference: CVE 2862429).