The Hornitos hydroelectric power plant is a run-of-river power plant located in the Aconcagua basin, near the city of Los Andes, Valparaíso Region, approximately 100 km from Santiago, Chile.
Project details
- Location: Valparaíso, Chile
- Category: Hydroelectric Power
- Standard: Verified Carbon Standard
The project uses the waters of the Juncal and Juncalillo rivers, tributaries of the Aconcagua River, to generate a maximum capacity of 63.09 MW, which is injected into the Central Interconnected System for industrial and residential energy supply in the area. With this energy, it is possible to cover the electricity demand of 80,000 people.
The Hornitos plant is located in cascade with three other plants located downstream – Aconcagua, Los Quilos and Chacabuquito – which have been successfully operated since 1994, 1939 and 2002 respectively.
Socio-Environmental Benefits
From the environmental point of view, the plant uses a clean and renewable source of energy, such as the currents of the Aconcagua River, thus avoiding CO2 emissions into the atmosphere at an annual rate of 66,318 tons. In addition, the project includes the reforestation of 2.65 ha with native forest species.
In social terms, 1,200 jobs were created during the construction of the plant, and 15 permanent jobs were created for its operation, all of which were filled by local labor.
Finally, the Hornitos project has certified its reductions under the United Nations Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), two of the most relevant international standards.
