Chilean Government signs collaboration agreement with SOFOFA and UN Environment to boost district energy in Chile

With the aim of strengthening and accelerating the transition to modern district energy systems in Chile, the Ministries of Energy and Environment signed a collaboration agreement with the Industrial Federation (SOFOFA) and UN Environment.

José Dallo, Director of the Subregional Office for the Southern Cone of the UN Environment, praised the commitment to continue strengthening the global District Energy in Cities Initiative, touting the benefits of this technology. "District energy systems enable social gains by reducing air pollution, and economic gains as it is a much more efficient heating and cooling technology. In Latin America it is still something new, but it has been successfully implemented internationally," says Dallo.

"The importance of this agreement lies in bringing together public and private efforts," says Ricardo Irarrázabal, Undersecretary of Energy for Chile. "We are beginning a long-term relationship with a common goal, to have more efficient energy and to reduce pollution levels in the southern cities of our country. In this way, we are advancing more and more in the energy modernization of Chile.”

The Undersecretary of the Environment, Rodrigo Benítez, added that “district heating is a solution for the future, and that taking out a first district heating demonstration project is part of President Piñera's government program. We feel that much has been studied, many diagnoses have been made, and unfortunately, we have not been able to take any concrete project. The opportunity of this agreement that we have signed is to align the public and private interests."

In this sense, Jorge Cáceres, executive director of the SOFOFA Environment and Energy Center, assured the interest of raising these projects is promoting energy efficiency and sustainability. "We want to actively involve companies in the implementation models," says Cáceres.

Source: Ministry of Energy Chile