Energía Austral has received approval from the Aysén Region’s Environmental Evaluation Commission for the development of the Cuervo hydroelectric plant following a rigorous environmental evaluation process on may 2012.
The project was submitted for environmental evaluation in August 2009. During this process, Energía Austral responded to four rounds of observations and queries from the different government services with responsibility for environmental matters during which it provided complementary information and clarified the measures mitigate and compensate for the project’s impacts.
For the preparation of its Environmental Impact Study (EIS), a total of 90,000 hectares were studied in depth in order to ensure a thorough review of the project’s relation to its surroundings. A variety of technical, environmental and social tests were carried out so as to achieve a sustainable energy initiative that is in accordance with the Aysén Region’s development strategy.
Prior to its submission to the regional authorities, the EIS was subjected to detailed independent auditing in order to ensure its rigour and compliance with the regulation in force.
Principal mitigation and compensation measures
Energía Austral has worked responsibly to provide the best possible project and, for the Cuervo plant, has designed a series of measures to mitigate and compensate for the impact of its construction and operation.
The principal measures include:
Environmental aspects
- Forestry compensation plan: Energía Austral will undertake an ambitious reforestation plan in the Aysén Region to compensate for the area affected by the project. This will place particular emphasis on research into and monitoring of native species and is expected to create some 100 jobs in an estimated period of 20 years.
- The future reservoir’s restricted operation takes the existing ecosystem into account and the maximum 15 cm/day drop permitted in its level will benefit the ecosystems on its banks.
- A Private Protected Natural Area will be created around the future reservoir, providing a new destination for nature tourism while also contributing to conservation, preservation and environmental education.
Social aspects
- Energía Austral has an agreement with the Mutual de Seguridad, an occupational health and safety organisation, under which it will install an outpatient medical centre for the project’s workers and their families that will also be open to the community. In order to avoid an impact on Puerto Aysén’s health system, Energía Austral also plans to install medical centres at each camp, attended 24 hours a day by a doctor.
- In order to minimise the impact on Puerto Aysén’s road infrastructure, Energía Austral will prefer its own roads or sea transport for its personnel and machinery.
- In order to minimise the risks associated with a sudden influx of workers from outside the Aysén Region, Energía Austral will implement a 14 day/14 day shift system. During their work periods, workers will remain in the camps established at the sites which will be fully equipped for this purpose.
Learn more about the Cuervo plant’s Environmental Impact Study (available only in Spanish)