Enel Distribution delivers energy to the city through medium and low-voltage networks that support concrete poles. Since the poles are located in large part of the urban fabric, the probability of suffering an accident due to natural or anthropic causes is high.
More than 5 thousand tons of concrete are disposed of annually in landfills without recovery. Enel, in its ongoing quest to improve its environmental performance, developed in 2021 the "Luminaire with circular design" project to manufacture concrete poles with recycled aggregates, reduce the consumption of virgin materials, and better managing construction or demolition waste (CDW) in the city.
This project was made possible thanks to the support of the Directorate of Scientific and Technological Research of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (DICTUC). The school conducted tests and analyses to determine the quality of the materials and the correct proportion that could be used as input in manufacturing the recycled poles.
In May 2022, with the technical approval of the DICTUC, the first recycled pole was successfully installed in the network. The manufacture and installation of 500 additional recycled poles with the same capacity and durability as the traditional ones were planned.
