A seminar organized by AES Chile, INACAP and GIZ addressed the energy potential of the Region of Antofagasta

The event went more deeply into the new technologies and the training of human capital to promote the development of renewable energies. 

Antofagasta, June 29, 2022.- The Region of Antofagasta will become a national and international reference for the generation of renewable energy, given its favorable geographical conditions and human capital.

This is one of the conclusions of the seminar “Energy Transformation for the Region of Antofagasta: Multisectoral Challenges and Projections”, organized by AES Chile and INACAP with the collaboration of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ, for its acronym in German).

The event was attended by public and private players, led by the Seremi of Energy of the Region, Dafne Pino, the Manager of the Norte Complex of AES Chile, Vanni Boggio, the Vice-Rector of INACAP Antofagasta Headquarters, Patricio Valdivia, the Sector Director of Energy and Sustainability of INACAP, Viviana Avalos and the advisor of the Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency Program of GIZ, Rodrigo Vásquez. 

“Large-scale renewable energy projects necessarily require the generation of human capital, for which we must prepare ourselves from now on to promote the interest of students, along with the development of state-of-the-art technology, as AES Chile has been doing in different projects under construction and development, both in the Antofagasta Region and in the rest of the country,” said Vanni Boggio.

The executive officer commented that “as a company we want to encourage the next generation of students to become the protagonists of the commitment we have set at AES Chile, such as accelerating the future of energy and the transition to renewable sources.” 

In this line, Vanni Boggio commented on the company’s analysis of a range of renewable initiatives that require a high investment in technology and human capital.

Meanwhile, the Vice-Rector of INACAP Antofagasta Headquarters, Patricio Valdivia, said that “this activity makes it possible for us to take a closer look at those involved in the development of renewable energy technology; the way in which the evolution of this important form of energy, which allows us to maintain the electricity supply so relevant to daily life in a clean way, is being carried forward.” He added that “the agreement between AES Chile and INACAP helps us to enhance the training of our students and future professionals, especially in this region that gives us various means to achieve the path of clean energy in Chile.”

The Sector Director of Energy and Sustainability of INACAP, Viviana Avalos, stated that “for professional technical educational institutions, the challenge is to accompany the changes and accelerate the training of specialized human capital to transform the energy sector, addressing future challenges. The focus of INACAP is to advance along this path, accompanying the energy transition with a fair, flexible component adjusted to the new scenarios. We must address the needs at the territorial level, considering the transformation and adaptation requirements of each region.”

For Rodrigo Vásquez, advisor to GIZ Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Program, “the region of Antofagasta is key in changing the energy matrix, where supply and demand converge. In addition, from the point of view of development, the clean generation potential of the area will enable a whole new energy sector based on the Power to X concept, in which energy will be transformed into new fuels, new forms of storage, as well as a new export element. Moreover, in this sense, technical capabilities are fundamental, not only in the construction, but in the implementation, execution, operation, maintenance and deployment of these new technologies.” 

Alliance

The event took place in the framework of the alliance entered into in December 2021 between AES Chile and INACAP, which provides for joint work in training and knowledge transfer activities around the decarbonization of the energy matrix and the development of renewable energy and green hydrogen projects, bringing students and teachers closer to the work context and the challenges of the sector.