Within the framework of the Financial Meeting “More Connected by ISA” that every year brings together the main exponents of the financial world at a regional level and that this year took place in Santiago, Sebastián Fernández, general manager of Conexión Kimal-Lo Aguirre, participated in a conversation panel with representatives of important investment projects of the Colombian group ISA in Chile, an event also attended by the Minister of Finance, Mario Marcel.
In his presentation, Fernández addressed the work that Conexión Kimal-Lo Aguirre has done to advance the direct current transmission project, currently under environmental evaluation, and highlighted the obtaining of credits for a total of US$ 480 million for the financing of its first stage.
This, through financing agreements with the HSBC Hong Kong bank and with its shareholders Transelec and ISA Inversiones Chile, for the granting of three loans for US$160 million, respectively, one of which corresponds to the “green” or Green Label type. . He noted that this classification was supported by Sustainalytics, a global leader in categorizing ESG (environmental, social and governance criteria) transactions.
At the same time, he strongly reinforced his opinion about the importance and value of developing projects focused on sustainability and the environment. “Climate change invites us to rethink from the beginning how to make better projects, and it is essential that they are developed thinking about how to contribute to our planet,” he commented, pointing out that in the case of Kimal Lo Aguirre, “we are developing a project that considers “the necessary infrastructure to be able to face challenges in a resilient way, always including the guidelines of national and international standards, such as the Escazú Principles and the IFC standards.”
Likewise, he recalled that the project, the first to be carried out in direct current in Chile, will be able to transport up to 3,000 MW of renewable energy safely and efficiently over 1,342 km. This step will be key to making the electrical system more robust and stable, and will help reduce the high levels of energy discharge in the north – which recorded an increase of 163% in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2023. , according to data from the National Electrical Coordinator – which cannot be injected into consumption centers given the non-existence of new power lines.
Conexión’s participation in the Financial Meeting “More Connected by ISA” reaffirms its relevance within the infrastructure projects that this business group has in the country, but also highlights its commitment to innovation, sustainability and the decarbonization of the matrix energy of Chile.
The main idea of the meeting and the message that all the panelists agreed to convey to investors is the importance of incorporating climate change issues into investment processes and how it is essential to consider sustainability and care for the planet when investing. in megaprojects for a better future.
