Social role and commitment to the region.
Guacolda Energía plays a very relevant social role, with +200 plant workers and more than 700 contractors. It is one of the main sources of employment in the Huasco province and the economic engine for more than 3,000 people. Like sector authorities, the Company believes that a key pillar of a just and responsible energy transition is the protection of jobs and economic activity in areas identified as "energy transition" zones.
As part of the Council for the Environmental and Social Recovery of Huasco (CRAS), Guacolda has actively worked on complying with the measures outlined in the Environmental and Social Recovery Program (PRAS), boosting local economic development, education, heritage, and health. One such initiative is the construction of the first dialysis center for Huasco, in partnership with the Atacama Health Service and the Huasco Municipality, to benefit the entire local area.
In 2016, Guacolda Energía developed an environmental improvement project, investing nearly US$ 300 million to add new bag filters, sulfur removers, and denitrifiers to the environmental control equipment existing at that time, fully complying with the Emissions Standard for Thermoelectric Plants.
On the other hand, since 2017, all air quality indicators in Huasco have improved substantially, staying below the maximum limits allowed by the Air Quality Standard. As of 2022, environmental authorities have determined that the Huasco commune is no longer in a latency zone for particulate matter MP10, and this condition is expected to be maintained over time.
All of the above has been the result of the commitment from the entire area, both from industrial and non-industrial emission sources, to comply with the measures outlined in the Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Plan (PPDA) for Huasco and its surrounding area.
Finally, as part of the initiatives promoted by the Ministry of Energy regarding the Second Phase of the Energy Transition, in 2023 Guacolda Energía took a significant and innovative step in the operation of its units, allowing for a greater contribution from renewable energy generation, particularly in the solar block. This involves reducing electricity generation to the technical minimum of units 1, 2, and 3 to a level of 38 MW, a notable milestone in the national electricity market.