A couple of weeks ago, the RWE Renewables Chile company, a subsidiary of the German RWE, entered the Los Fresías wind park, which will be located in Yungay and will represent an investment of US $ 500 million. This is the ninth wind generation project located in Ñuble that is presented in the environmental Assessment Service from 2021 to date, giving an account of a growing interest of the companies of the item to exploit the potential of the winds in the region.
The nine wind farms that are projected in Ñuble, according to the information provided by the holders, total an estimated investment of US $ 2,636 million, becoming the sector with the greatest participation in the investments projected in the region that have passed through the SEA.
Of these nine initiatives, five already have their environmental approval: between hills, in Portezuelo; Culenco, in Ninhue and San Carlos; Damagequi, in Yungay; Pemuco, in Pemuco; and San Carlos, in San Carlos and Ñiquén, who obtained its environmental qualification resolution last April 16.
Also, only the Pemuco wind farm, of the company ENGIE Energía Chile, already began its construction, at the end of February of this year, whose first stone placement ceremony attended the Minister of Energy, Diego Pardow. As reported on that occasion, the complex should begin to inject energy as of December 2026.
On the other hand, there are four projects still in the environmental qualification Stage: the Coihues, in El Carmen; Andino Switzerland, in Ñiquén and San Carlos; El Sauzal, in Quirihue and Cauquenes; And freshness, in Yungay.
These nine projects will have a joint generation power of 1,873.5 MW, which is equivalent to almost ten times the installed capacity of current generation in the Ñuble region, which adds 190 MW, which is mainly composed of photovoltaic, diesel, hydroelectric and biomass sources.
To these nine are added 16 wind farms that are in initial evaluation and design stages and that are not yet presented to the SEA, which, together, will exceed US $ 4,500 million estimated investment.
Among the wind farms that do not yet enter the Sea are: Cumbres del Ñuble, in San Nicolás; dry town, in San Ignacio; Linz and Don Mauricio, in Pemuco; Andino Melcahue, Belén and Los Cardos, in San Carlos; Ostro, Las Delicias, Demeter, Ambrosía and Chanco, in Quirihue; and Esmeralda, Cobquecura, Quirihue Poniente and Fariña, in Cobquecura.
Approved projects
The first wind project to enter the SEA was the renewable park between Cerros, presented by the Penquista Consorcio Elicos, in March 2021 and approved in August 2022. Although it was conceived as a solar-etolic hybrid complex, after its sale to Engie Energía Chile, in August 2023, sources in the sector claim that it will be only wind.
With its 11 generators that will rise in Portezuelo, its generation power is calculated in 46.2 MW. Initially, the projected investment reached US $ 100.3 million, including the photovoltaic park.
Then the Peenco, of the German company UKA Chile, was presented, which entered the SEA in February 2022 and was approved in September 2024. This project had been previously entered, in May 2021, by the German company Plan8, however, in July 2021, the Sea resolved to put an early term to the evaluation.
With 32 wind turbines that will be built in Ninhue and San Carlos, it will have a nominal power of generation of 256 MW, one of the largest four that are projected in the region. An investment of US $ 305 million is estimated.
The wind consortium also presented to the SEA, in September 2022, the Damañicalqui wind park project, which was approved in January 2024 and will represent an investment of US $ 120 million. It will have 14 wind turbines that will be located in Yungay and that will add a power of 95.2 MW.
In the case of the Pemuco wind farm, which will be located in the Checking sector, in the commune of Pemuco, the project was presented to the Eno Energía Chile -Filial of the French Engie -, in October 2022 and obtained its approval in March 2024. Its construction began at the end of February 2025 and will have 22 wind turbines that will total a generation power of 165 MW.
Meanwhile, the PE San Carlos, whose 25 wind turbines will be located in San Carlos and Ñiquén, was presented to the SEA by the company WIND 5 SPA, subsidiary of the German Energy Kitchen GmbH, in December 2023 and achieved its environmental approval in April 2025. A generation power of 187 MW and a total investment of US $ 241 million is estimated.
Projects in Environmental Evaluation
Currently, there are four wind generation projects in the Environmental Qualification Stage in the SEA.
The PE Los Coihues was presented to the SEA, in January 2024, by the Hy2wind Spa company (alliance between the Chilean Aaktei and the Uruguayan firm Hynewgen). It consists of the construction of 47 wind turbines that will be located in El Carmen, which will add a generation power of 338.4 MW, which makes it the second largest projected wind farm in the region. The estimated investment reaches US $ 470 million.
In December 2024, meanwhile, the Chilean Andes Solar company, by virtue of the alliance that signed with the European company Edp Renewables (EDPR), entered the PE Andino Switzerland project, which will be located in Ñiquén and San Carlos. Consider the installation and qualification of 16 wind turbines, totaling an installed power of 115.2 MW. The estimated investment reaches US $ 172 million.
In March 2025, Wind Consortium entered the PE El Sauzal project, which with its 45 wind turbines and a generation power of up to 360 MW, is so far, the largest windpage of Ñuble. It will be built in Quirihue and Cauquenes and will represent an estimated investment of US $ 500 million.
Finally, the Fresias, from the German RWE Renewables Chile, entered last April 10. It consists of the construction of 43 wind turbines in the Campanario sector, in the commune of Yungay, which will add a generation power of 310 MW. The estimated investment will reach US $ 500 million.
Folder projects
To these nine projects, 16 wind farms that are in more initial stages of evaluation and design by the companies must be added, according to information from the National Energy Commission.
In the list, some already known companies are identified, such as Andes Solar, which projects the Andino Melcahue, in San Carlos.
Uka Chile and its PE Quirihue Poniente project, in Cobquecura; Wind consortium, with the peak of Ñuble, in San Nicolás; and RWE Renewables Chile, which, in alliance with Forestal Arauco, projects to develop the Redes, in San Carlos.
Also, the company Atlas Development Chile Spa is behind the PE Belén projects, in San Carlos, and PE Ambrosía, in Quirihue.
Besalco Renewable Energy SA projects the Las Delicias wind farms, in Quirihue; and dry people, in San Ignacio.
GM Developments projects the PE Cobquecura, in the homonym commune; Andes mainstream spa drives the Pe Fariña, also in Cobquecura; Enel Green Power of the South is evaluating Pe Chanco, in Quirihue; Colbún SA has the Esmeralda project, in Cobquecura; Solarpack Chile Ltda. Projects Pe Ostro, in Quirihue; and Grenergy Renewables Pacific Ltda. It is behind the Pe Demeter, also in Quirihue.
In Pemuco, meanwhile, Austriaenergy Chile fifteen Spa projects the PE Linz; And Don Mauricio Spa Wind Park has the homonym project.
Challenges
Those wind projects that seek to place themselves in the communes of Cobquecura and Quirihue, which add a dozen, as well as in San Carlos and Ñiquén, which totals six, face two important difficulties: the connection to the electrical transmission network and the resistance of the communities by the possible environmental impacts of these initiatives.
And it is that beyond the discussion due to the use of agricultural land, the main concerns of the neighbors are related to the impact on biodiversity – mainly avifauna – and in the quality of life of the people living in the surroundings (less than 1,000 meters from the wind turbines), mainly due to the effects of noise and intermittent shadow. In that context, both in Cobquecura and in Quirihue and Cauquenes the communities have organized and developed numerous meetings with the objective of adding strength and submitting observations and consultations within the framework of the environmental evaluation of the projects.
Environmental groups and neighbors point to a “wind tsunami” in the region that only seeks to meet the energy needs of large consumption centers, such as Concepción and Santiago, as well as providing electricity for the production of green hydrogen. This, since currently the Ñuble region is surplus in energy generation, that is, it produces more than it consumes.
On the other hand, the execution of these projects is subject to the construction of large works of electric transmission infrastructure, such as substations in Quirihue, such as delights, and interregional transmission lines, including, Itahue-Hualqui (rejected by the SEA in April 2024) and Lo Aguirre-Entre Ríos.
