Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol results have been published for the 456MW Chaglla project in Peru.
The scheme, which is the first project in the country to utilise the IHA’s protocol, is now in the final stages of construction. It scored well achieving level 4 or higher on 17 of the 19 sustainability topics against which it was assessed. A score of 5 – the highest possible – represents proven best practice while a score of 3 represents basic good practice.
According to the final report the project’s good score was due to its well selected location, good design and small social and environmental footprint. It also exhibited a high degree of corporate commitment to sustainability combined with the scrutiny of international lenders.
Chaglla is being financed by equity contributions from Odebrecht and loans from a number of development and commercial banks, including the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (BNDES), COFIDE (Development Finance Corporation).
Commercial operations are expected to commence in February 2016. Once commissioned the project will provide up to 456MW to the national grid. It will be the third largest hydroelectric power plant in Peru, generating approximately 6% of the country’s power and reducing annual greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 1.8Mt.
SOURCE: International Hydropower Association
