Chile’s power grid and copper mines are recovering from a significant outage caused by a transmission line failure. As of Wednesday morning, over 90% of electricity has been restored, though some areas still face interruptions. Authorities have lifted emergency measures, while investigations into the cause of the outage are ongoing, particularly concerning the systems of ISA Interchile. Major copper mines, including Escondida, have begun resuming operations.
Chile’s power grid and significant copper mines began to resume operations on Wednesday following a substantial outage that disrupted the nation’s electricity supply. The outage, attributed to a transmission line failure in northern Chile, occurred on Tuesday afternoon, resulting in widespread darkness across the country and affecting major mining operations.
As of Wednesday morning, the National Electricity Coordinator (CEN) reported that over 90% of residential electricity consumption had been restored, although some cities continued to experience intermittent power interruptions. Interior Minister Carolina Toha expressed concern about the situation, highlighting that several safety measures failed during the incident and that power stations struggled to regain operational status.
The outage was traced back to energy distributor ISA Interchile, which is a subsidiary of Colombia’s ISA, owned by state oil company Ecopetrol. According to a statement from ISA Interchile, the outage was initiated by a malfunction of the electronic and software protection systems that led to the disconnection of a high-voltage line, subsequently resulting in a grid failure.
In light of the situation, Minister Toha announced that the official state of emergency and curfew that had been imposed since Tuesday evening were lifted. Initially affecting about 8 million homes, approximately 220,000 users remained without power by Wednesday morning, primarily in northern regions, as efforts to restore power continued.
In the mining sector, operations at major copper mines gradually came back online, including Escondida, the world’s largest copper mine, which anticipated a return to normal operations shortly. Furthermore, other companies such as Anglo American and Codelco reported that their respective mining operations were also resuming activities, reflecting a positive trend in recovery from the outage.
Additionally, Santiago’s subway service announced a resumption of services across most lines and stations. This restoration of services is a significant step towards normalcy in urban transportation following the power crisis.
In conclusion, following a major outage caused by a transmission line failure, Chile’s power grid is gradually returning to full functionality. Significant progress has been made in restoring power to residential areas and major copper mines, crucial for the country’s economy. Authorities have lifted emergency measures while investigations into the causes of the outage continue, underlining the challenges faced by the energy sector in ensuring stability and reliability.
Original Source: www.tradingview.com
