Reducir los vertimientos en Chile: una clave para aprovechar al máximo las energías renovables

This policy brief by Ember analyzes the challenge of renewable energy curtailment (vertimientos) in Chile, where solar and wind generation have grown rapidly but are hindered by transmission bottlenecks and a lack of system flexibility. The document proposes a 'Clean Flexibility Kit' of short, medium, and long-term measures—including battery storage, dynamic line rating, and demand response markets—to maximize the use of clean energy and reduce economic losses for investors.

• In 2024, solar and wind energy provided 34% of Chile's total electricity generation, but curtailment levels reached 6.6% of all electricity generated in the country.
• Curtailment of solar and wind energy in 2024 totaled 5,642 GWh, representing 19% of the total electricity supplied by these two technologies during that year.
• Between January 2022 and May 2025, 11,900 GWh of energy were curtailed, resulting in estimated economic losses of $562 million for generators.
• Chile's high curtailment rates are primarily driven by its geography, which requires long transmission lines, and a transition strategy that prioritized generation capacity over flexibility tools like storage and transmission expansion.
• Major infrastructure projects to reduce curtailment, such as the 1,400 km Kimal-Lo Aguirre transmission line, are not expected to be operational until 2029.
• Adding 1 GW of battery energy storage (BESS) with 4-hour duration in high-congestion areas could reduce annual curtailment by nearly 25%, avoiding the loss of 1,300 GWh per year and saving $67.6 million annually.
• Implementing Dynamic Line Rating (DLR) could increase effective transmission line capacity by 10% to 30% and could be deployed nationally in less than three years.
• Chile's curtailment rates are significantly higher than those of other countries with similar renewable penetration; for example, with 34% penetration, Ireland had curtailment around 8%, Germany 4.5%, and Spain 1.2%, compared to Chile's 19% in 2024.
• Short-term recommendations (under 2 years) include designing a National Curtailment Reduction Plan, requiring minimum storage for new projects in congested zones, and creating an enabling environment for large-scale storage.
• Medium-term recommendations (2-4 years) focus on incentives for projects near high-demand or low-congestion areas and the creation of a formal demand response market.
• Long-term recommendations (up to 5 years) involve the massive implementation of demand response projects and establishing a regulatory framework for electricity exchange markets with Argentina and Peru.

APA

Suárez, W. (2025). Reducir los vertimientos en Chile: una clave para aprovechar al máximo las energías renovables. Ember. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/09/ES-Reporte-Reducir-los-vertimientos-en-Chile-una-clave-para-aprovechar-al-maximo-las-energias-renovables-6.pdf

Chicago

Suárez, Wilmar. Reducir los vertimientos en Chile: una clave para aprovechar al máximo las energías renovables. Ember, 2025. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/09/ES-Reporte-Reducir-los-vertimientos-en-Chile-una-clave-para-aprovechar-al-maximo-las-energias-renovables-6.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Suárez |first1=Wilmar |title=Reducir los vertimientos en Chile: una clave para aprovechar al máximo las energías renovables |publisher=Ember |date=25 September 2025 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/09/ES-Reporte-Reducir-los-vertimientos-en-Chile-una-clave-para-aprovechar-al-maximo-las-energias-renovables-6.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{surez2025reducir, author = {Suárez, Wilmar}, title = {{Reducir los vertimientos en Chile: una clave para aprovechar al máximo las energías renovables}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2025}, month = sep, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2025/09/ES-Reporte-Reducir-los-vertimientos-en-Chile-una-clave-para-aprovechar-al-maximo-las-energias-renovables-6.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }