Chile postpones 2021 power auction due to COVID-19 lockdown

Chile’s National Energy Commission (CNE) said on Saturday that it had postponed the 2021 power auction due to the extended lockdown imposed across the Santiago Metropolitan Region to curb the COVID-19 pandemic.

The tender round to place 2,310 GWh of electricity per year was planned to take place on June 22, as announced by CNE in December. However, since late March, the capital Santiago and neighbouring communities have been put under strict new shelter-in-place measures, meant to help the country cope with the second wave of infections as it continues with the vaccination campaign.

As a result, CNE postponed the submission date for offers to June 25 from May 28, and rescheduled the remaining steps in the auction timetable. It said that by stretching the submission period, it wanted to ensure adequate participation in the bidding process, while complying with measures set by the health authority.

The auction is open to national and international power companies, which can offer electricity from any type of plant, including energy storage units and new projects. The goal is to secure a supply of electricity for residential and SME customers from January 2026 through December 2040.

The off-takers will be qualified power distributors, which are projected to be facing shortages between 2026 and 2034, according to CNE’s earlier announcement.

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