Mataquito Transmisora obtains definitive concession for section 2.1 of power line

The Ministry of Energy granted Mataquito Transmisora de Energía S.A. the definitive electrical concession to establish Section 2.1 of the transmission project “New 2x220 kV Line Mataquito - Nueva Nirivilo - Nueva Cauquenes - Dichato - Hualqui”, which crosses 15 communes in the regions of Maule, Ñuble, and Biobío. The decision is contained in exempt decree No. 255, signed on October 21, 2026, by the Minister of Energy, Ximena Rincón González, and published in the Official Gazette on Thursday, October 29, 2026, in its Section II, under official reference CVE 2891326.

The legal framework of the concession

The decree is issued under articles 11 and 29 of the decree with the force of law No. 4/20.018, of 2006, from the Ministry of Economy, Development, and Reconstruction, which establishes the consolidated text of the General Law of Electrical Services. The original request was divided into 18 sections—from “Section 1.1” to “Section 4.5”—by electronic exempt resolution No. 40.214, of June 22, 2026, from the Superintendency of Electricity and Fuels; this act corresponds solely to Section 2.1.

The file incorporates electronic ordinary letter No. 351057, of September 15, 2026, from the same Superintendency. The decree is exempt from the toma de razón (legal review) process by application of resolution No. 36, of 2024, from the Comptroller General of the Republic, which exempts electrical transmission concessions from said control.

Fifteen communes in three regions

The authorized route covers the following jurisdictions:

• Regions: Maule, Ñuble, and Biobío.
• Provinces: Curicó, Talca, Linares, Cauquenes, Itata, and Concepción.
• Communes: Sagrada Familia, Curepto, Pencahue, Constitución, Empedrado, San Javier, Cauquenes, Quirihue, Cobquecura, Trehuaco, Coelemu, Tomé, Penco, Concepción, and Hualqui.

Scale of work, deadlines, and crossings

The complete project contemplates four sections of double-circuit 220 kV lines between the Mataquito Substation and the Hualqui Substation: 264,295 meters in total length, 584 support structures, and a conceded length of 264,184 meters. The budget for the works amounts to $44,920,983,584.

• Section 1, Mataquito–Nueva Nirivilo: 69,291 meters and 155 structures.
• Section 2, Nueva Nirivilo–Nueva Cauquenes: 51,473 meters and 115 structures.
• Section 3, Nueva Cauquenes–Dichato: 94,550 meters and 201 structures.
• Section 4, Dichato–Hualqui: 48,981 meters and 113 structures.

The concession is for an indefinite term and the construction period is 29 months, counted from 30 days after the publication of the decree. The schedule sets the installation of worksites between months 1 and 4, civil works between 4 and 24, assemblies between 6 and 26, and the start of operation in month 29. Section 2.1 will occupy only national assets for public use and will cross facilities of Transelec S.A., Compañía General de Electricidad S.A., and the Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado, including the Talca–Constitución railway branch.

Impact on the territories

The decree states that the work seeks to increase the country’s transmission capacity within the framework of the zonal system expansion plan, in one of the areas of highest energy consumption. The concession does not exempt the project from environmental obligations prior to the execution of the works nor from the prohibition of fragmentation under Law No. 19.300, and obligates the concessionaire to fully remove the installations when they become obsolete. For the 15 involved communes, the act establishes the first definitive authorization of a route that crosses three regions and must be coordinated with easements, existing line crossings, and sectoral permits.

Source: Official Gazette of the Republic of Chile, No. 44,586, Thursday, October 29, 2026, Section II, pp. 1-4 (official reference: CVE 2891326).