The reason for existence of Tinguiririca Energía is to generate safe and sustainable energy in a manner that causes the least possible impact on the environment.
La Higuera and La Confluencia, the company’s two run-of-river hydropower plants, are located in the upper basin of the Tinguiririca River and use water resources with all due respect for the natural stream flow regime in the Tinguiririca River basin. Both run-of-river hydropower plants were evaluated technically and environmentally by the Chilean administrative departmental and environmental authorities and obtained Environmental Permitting Qualification Resolutions No. 116/2004 and No. 282/2007, issued for the La Higuera and La Confluencia hydropower plants, respectively. More than 120 environmental commitments have been undertaken under these resolutions and have been complied with, and which we continuously monitor through our Environmental and Community Relations Management Unit and as reported to the Chilean Government Superintendency of the Environment and as shown by the Independent Environmental Audits we are subject to.
These commitments have shown themselves to provide a great opportunity for generating valuable knowledge concerning the flora, fauna and cultural heritage assets of the territory where we are located.
Reforestation
The reforestation program carried out by Tinguiririca Energía has compensated for 100% of the forestland area cleared in the project construction stage, or an amount equal to 112 hectares reforested. To accomplish this, more than 220,000 individuals of trees were grown in plant nurseries featuring 16 native species of trees such as those by the local names of peumo, quillay, litre, espino, boldo, maitén and others from seeds collected in the same areas where the hydropower plants were constructed.
Added to this effort was monitoring of the areas reforested for three years for the purpose of ensuring the survival of the species planted.
Glaciers
The O’Higgins Administrative Region is especially rich in glaciers and, accordingly, the study of these glaciers is essential for improving the common use of water resources. Tinguiririca Energía has performed an inventory of glaciers to include, among other aspects, the identification of the types of glaciers present, their areal extent, glacier equilibrium lines, volumes, snow line and surface temperature. New investigations are now under way, including satellite monitoring of the winter snow blanket in the upper basin of the Tinguiririca River and the updating of the glacier coverage in the area.
