Gas Atacama Chile S.A. (“GasAtacama”) is a power generation company located in the north of Chile in the Antofagasta Region. It was constituted in 1996 by Endesa Chile (currently Enel Generación Chile) and CMS Energy, who were equal-part owners, through Gas Atacama Holding Ltda. This corporation operates a combined-cycle power plant with two generating blocks with two units each. It features a total installed capacity of 780 MW and also has a 941-km-long gas pipeline connecting Chile with the Province of Jujuy, Argentina. In addition, it boasts a smaller pipeline in Chile measuring 224 km to supply natural gas to several mining and industrial customers.
In April 2014, Enel Generación Chile acquired a 50% shareholding of Inversiones Gas Atacama Holding Ltda. (“GasAtacama Holding”). By virtue of this financial event, Enel Generación Chile gained a controlling position in GasAtacama Holding.
During the second half of 2016, a process of corporate simplification was implemented involving a series of successive mergers; primarily, GasAtacama Holding merged with Central Eléctrica Tarapacá S.A., that subsequently merged with GasAtacama, which became the legal surviving corporation on November 1, 2016.
In line with the corporate simplification, in November 2017, GasAtacama purchased a 25% minority interest of Central Eólica Canela S.A. which, in turn, sold its assets to its parent company, Gas Atacama, on December 22, 2017, resulting in the dissolution of Central Eólica Canela S.A.
Enel Generación Chile S.A. currently has a 97.4% shareholding of GasAtacama, and since May 1, 2014, it has been consolidated in Enel Generación Chile’s financial statements.
GasAtacama is steering its long-term development towards electricity generation, providing a power supply to mining companies in the north of Chile, industrial customers, and its parent company, Enel Generación. It also has a total installed capacity of 1,885 MW.
As of December 31, 2017, and after the corporate simplification, GasAtacama became the proprietary company of the following power plants: i) Hydroelectric Power Plants: Pangue Central in the Biobío Region with an installed power of 467 MW, and Ojos de Agua Central located in the Maule Region with an installed power of 9 MW; ii) Thermoelectric Power Plants: Tarapacá Central located in the Tarapacá Region with an installed power of 182 MW, GasAtacama Central located in the Antofagasta Region with an installed power of 780 MW, San Isidro I Central located in the Region of Valparaíso with an installed power of 379 MW; iii) Canela I and II Wind Power Plants located in the Coquimbo Region with an installed power of 68 MW.