As part of the process of environmental evaluation for the proposed Cuervo Hydroelectric Plant, which began in August 2009, Energía Austral has today submitted to the Aysén Region’s Environmental Evaluation Service (SEA) a fourth set of answers to questions and comments from environment-related government services. 

The fourth Addendum contains 15 answers on different issues. During the project’s evaluation, Energía Austral has suggested a range of mitigation measures designed to contribute to the development of tourism in the Aysén municipal district. They include the creation of a Protected Natural Area, with sectors equipped for nature tourism, around the future reservoir and the implementation of tourist infrastructure in the Bahía Acantilada coastal town.

The Cuervo project, which will have a capacity of some 640 MW, consists of a plant with a reservoir located approximately 45 km northwest of Puerto Aysén and will take advantage of the Cuervo River’s generating potential. In the area of the plant, no productive activities take place and there are no human settlements and the project will not, therefore, imply the resettlement of people.

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Energía Austral Contacts

ABOUT ENERGÍA AUSTRAL (www.energiaaustral.cl)

Energía Austral is a subsidiary of Xstrata Copper and forms part of its Business Development Unit. It is developing three hydroelectric plants in the Aysén municipal district - Cuervo, Blanco and Cóndor - and a transmission line to transport the energy produced to Chile’s Central Interconnected Grid (SIC). Energía Austral has offices in Puerto Aysén, Coyhaique and Santiago.

ABOUT XSTRATA COPPER (www.xstratacopper.com)

Xstrata Copper is the fourth largest global copper producer with attributable mined production in 2010 of 913,500 tonnes of copper in cathodes and concentrates. The company is also one of the world’s largest producers of smelter and refined copper, including from third party materials.

Headquartered in Brisbane, Xstrata Copper is one of the commodity business units within the major global diversified mining group Xstrata plc. Its mining and metallurgical operations and development projects span eight countries: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Peru, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and the USA.