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The Lircay Hydroelectric Power Plant, owned by Hidromaule S.A., is a run-of-river power plant that uses irrigation water from the Asociación de Canalistas del Maule.

Project details
  • Location: San Clemente, Chile
  • Category: Hydroelectric Power
  • Standard: Verified Carbon Standard

The plant is located in the confluence zone of the Corel Estuary with the Lircay River, 30 km northeast of Talca, in the commune of San Clemente, Province of Talca, VII Region of Maule, and has been operating since October 2008, with an annual generation of 130 GWh.

By using a renewable natural resource such as water, the power generated by the plant replaces the energy generated by thermal power plants, which are more expensive and have a much higher polluting effect than hydroelectric power plants, due to the high emission of greenhouse gases (GHG), among other factors. This qualifies the Lircay Hydroelectric Power Plant as a clean development mechanism in the context of the Kyoto Protocol.

As a project, the Lircay Hydroelectric Power Plant is registered in the Clean Development Mechanism, according to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, generating an annual reduction of GHG emissions of 53 thousand tons, equivalent to 53 thousand carbon credits per year.