Cogeneration for industry and commerce

Project:

Reduction of emissions using combined heat and power plants in Chile’s commercial and industrial sectors.

Principal:

Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).

Country:

Chile

Partner:

Chilean Ministry of Energy, Chilean Agency for Sustainable Energy Agencia SE

Duration:

2017 – 2021

Context and background

Approximately 53% of Chile’s electrical usage comes from fossil fuels, primarily imported coal. While these fuels undoubtedly release large amounts of harmful greenhouse gases, Chile is intrinsically dependent on fossil fuel imports for energy. In total, the energy sector accounts for approximately 78% of Chile’s CO2 emissions.

Combined heat and power generation is a possibility for efficient energy and heat generation and can thus contribute to a reduction in CO2 emissions. So far, there has been little widespread use, especially in attractive industrial and commercial applications.

According to an initial potential analysis by AgenciaSE in 2010, the potential for CHP plants in Chile’s industrial sector (excluding mining and trade) is around 875 MW. The total potential for the industry, including mining and trade, is assumed to be around 2 GW. This would correspond to an annual energy production of approx. 18 TWh (electricity and heat), which would be the equivalent to a supply of approx. 3.5 millions 4-person households. This could save around 4.2 millions tonnes of CO2 per year.

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