Chile’s Kimal-Lo Aguirre 600 kV HVDC Link Surpasses 20% Physical Completion as First 180 Towers Rise in Atacama

Conexión Kimal-Lo Aguirre has surpassed 20% total physical construction progress on Chile’s landmark 1,346 km ±600 kV direct-current corridor, completing 99%...

Conexión Kimal-Lo Aguirre has surpassed 20% total physical construction progress on Chile’s landmark 1,346 km ±600 kV direct-current corridor, completing 99% of earthworks at the Kimal converter substation in Antofagasta and erecting the first 180 heavy suspension towers across the Atacama Desert.

Connecting the Northern Solar Sunbelt to Santiago

Stretching across 28 municipalities and five administrative regions, the $1.5 billion Kimal-Lo Aguirre bipole is Chile’s first ultra-high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) transmission project. Once energized in 2029, the 3,000 MW line will channel surplus solar and wind power from the hyper-arid Atacama Desert directly to the heavy load centers of the Santiago Metropolitan Region.

With cumulative disbursements reaching $422 million by late September 2026, civil contractors have erected approximately 180 of the planned 2,692 self-supporting steel towers, each standing over 53 meters tall and weighing 11 metric tons.

99% Civil Completion at Kimal and Progress at Lo Aguirre Converter Yards

At the northern terminus in María Elena, earthworks and primary drainage channels at the Kimal converter substation have reached 99% completion, preparing foundational concrete pads for high-capacity ±600 kV converter transformers and valve hall superstructures.

Simultaneously, earthmoving at the southern Lo Aguirre converter site near Santiago has reached 37% progress, incorporating high-performance seismic isolation bearings designed to endure severe Subduction Zone earthquakes exceeding magnitude 8.5.

Eliminating Clean Energy Curtailment in the National Electric System (SEN)

Due to existing AC transmission bottlenecks, over 2.5 TWh of clean solar power is currently curtailed annually in northern Chile while fossil peaking plants fire in the south. Kimal-Lo Aguirre will unlock full capacity dispatch, slash wholesale marginal energy prices, and safeguard grid stability.

The project remains on schedule for comprehensive equipment installation in 2027 and commercial energization by 2029.