Energy grants electrical concession to relocate the Polpaico-Las Tórtolas-Maitenes line

The Ministry of Energy granted Alfa Transmisora de Energía S.A. the definitive electrical concession to establish the transmission project titled “Relocation of the 220 kV Line Section Polpaico - Las Tórtolas - Maitenes (ATE)”, in the Metropolitan Region, Chacabuco province, communes of Tiltil and Colina. The decision is contained in exempt decree No. 247, signed in Santiago on October 8, 2026, by Minister Ximena Rincón González, and was published in the Official Gazette No. 44,581 on Friday, October 23, 2026, Section II, pages 1 to 4, under official reference CVE 2887661.

The act is issued under articles 11 and 29 of the decree with force of law No. 4/20.018 of 2006, which establishes the consolidated text of the General Law of Electrical Services, and law No. 19,880 on administrative procedures. The file incorporates electronic ordinary letter No. 349177, dated September 2, 2026, from the Superintendency of Electricity and Fuels (SEC). The concession does not require a “toma de razón” (legal review), pursuant to article 14, literal C), numeral 14.7, of resolution No. 36 of 2024 of the Comptroller General of the Republic, which exempts electrical transmission concessions from this procedure.

Two sections and an extensive easement area

The project does not create a new line: it modifies the route of the Existing 1x220 kV Polpaico - Las Tórtolas - Maitenes Line to free up, through the relocation of its structures, the area that will be occupied by the planned growth of the AAS Tailings Dam. The relocated line must comply with the Safety Regulations for Installations and the Regulatory Specification RPTD No. 7 of the SEC, regarding safety strips and distances.

The technical characteristics remain the same: single circuit of 220 kV, with two conductors per phase in one section arranged on double-circuit tower crossarms and then one conductor per phase up to the Las Tórtolas and Maitenes substations. The route comprises:

• First section of 6,652.28 meters, between existing structure E31 (E: 335,771.53; N: 6,330,223.88) and existing structure E44 (E: 340,719.62; N: 6,331,051.23).
• Second section of 405.12 meters, corresponding to a bifurcation from projected structure 50A-N to existing structure E77 (E: 341,151.29; N: 6,330,016.72).
• Structures E31, E44, and E77 will not be modified nor are they part of the project, although the new conductors will use their crossarms.

Investment of 11,163 million and 30 months of works

The total budget for the works amounts to $11,163,126,666 (eleven billion one hundred sixty-three million one hundred twenty-six thousand six hundred sixty-six pesos), according to article 3 of the decree. The concession is granted for an indefinite term, and the concessionaire is obliged to provide the electric energy transport service under the quality and continuity conditions established by law and regulations.

The works will have a total duration of 30 months starting from their commencement, and the period for the works will begin 12 months after the date of publication of the decree in the Official Gazette (Diario Oficial). Exceptionally, the works may begin early if voluntary agreements are reached with the owners of the affected properties. The concessionaire must also completely remove the installations when they become useless for the purpose of the concession, within the timeframe and conditions set by the SEC.

Easements on Serviu and Anglo American Sur properties

The project will cross only private properties; therefore, the decree approves the special easement plans and establishes the corresponding electrical easements. The associated plans are PLB-0583-DRW-6220-EE 0029 (one sheet, February 2026) and PLB-0583-DRW-6220-EE-0030, sheets 1 and 2. The identified impacts are:

• Serviu Metropolitano, in the Santa Ana Parcelation, commune of Tiltil: 2,138.54 meters in length and 72,593.59 m² of affected surface area.
• Anglo American Sur S.A., on the Cajón de Las Tórtolas property, commune of Colina: 3,281.31 meters and 111,745.38 m².
• Anglo American Sur S.A., in the Fundo Peldehue and Baños de Colina Parcelation: 1,036.79 meters and 35,637.51 m².
• Anglo American Sur S.A., in Cajón de Las Tórtolas, commune of Colina: 600.76 meters and 21,627.34 m².

The text also authorizes crossings of rivers, canals, railways, bridges, aqueducts, streets, roads, and other power lines, in accordance with current regulations. Article 14 specifies that the concession does not exempt the project from compliance with environmental legislation prior to the execution of the works. The decree bears the signature of Minister Ximena Rincón González and was transcribed by Andrea Verónica Soto Araya, head of the Legal Division of the Undersecretariat of Energy.

The formal enablement of this relocation clears a critical point for the operation of the 220 kV network that supplies the northern sector of the Metropolitan Region: it allows for the expansion of the AAS tailings dam without sacrificing supply continuity or the security of the transmission strip. With deadlines and easements already defined, the project enters its material execution phase, subject to supervision by the SEC.

Source: Official Gazette of the Republic of Chile, No. 44,581, Friday, October 23, 2026, Section II, pp. 1-4 (official reference: CVE 2887661).