Chilean environmental authority Corema approved the environmental impact study for the La Higuera and La Confluencia hydroelectric projects on 14 September. Pacific Hydro signed a joint venture agreement with SN Power in June for the development of La Higuera, which will be built on the Tinguiririca river in central Chile.
The first stage is the US$170M 155MW La Higuera project, and will be followed within 2–3 years by the 145MW La Confluencia project. Current development activities would allow construction of La Higuera to begin in January 2005, following signing of a power purchase agreement with local distributor Saesa in June this year, the statement said. Generation is expected to start in 2008.
