AES closes 276MW coal-fired power in Chile

US utility AES has disconnected its two Norgener coal-fired plants from Chile's national grid, removing 276MW of combined capacity almost two years earlier than scheduled.

The plants in northern Chile's Antofagasta region were originally due to close on 31 December 2025.

AES has 3.4GW of generation assets in Chile of which now more than half are renewable, it said.

The early closure of Norgener 1 and 2, which began operations in 1995 and 1997, respectively, is part of the country's commitment to close all coal-fired plants by 2040. To date, it has closed 11 coal-fired plants with combined capacity of nearly 1.7GW, or 30pc of the 5.5GW in operation in 2019 when the phase-out plan was announced.

A further four plants with a combined capacity of 873MW are scheduled to close in 2025, according to the energy ministry.

A public-private decarbonization working group is developing a roadmap through 2030 to speed up the closure of Chile's remaining coal plants.

By Emily Russell