Chile's President Sebastian Pinera officially unveiled the 310-MW Tinguiririca hydroelectric power complex in the Tinguiririca valley of central region VI Chile, Tinguiririca Energia announced in a press release.
The complex consists of two 155-MW run-of-river hydropower plants, La Higuera and La Confluencia. The former plant had originally been expected to open in 2009.
Owner Tinguiririca Energia has invested US$800 million in the plants, which connects to the country's southern SIC power grid through a nearby substation purchased by Chilean transmission company Transelec in a US$20 million deal earlier this year.
Tinguiririca Energia is a Chilean JV owned by Australia's Pacific Hydro and Norway's SN Power.
The hydro facility is the largest to come online in Chile since Endesa Chile's 690-MW Ralco complex was unveiled in 2004.
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