Vision - Mission

GasAtacama is a Chilean conglomerate comprised of energy companies with over ten years operational experience providing natural gas supplies to electricity generating companies in northern Chile and to industrial clients in northern Argentina, as well as electrical energy to large mining firms and distributors in the north of Chile.

Initially founded by CMS Energy (United States, 50%) and ENDESA (Chile, 50%), GasAtacama Holding began operations in mid-1999. At that time, the business was comprised of three companies who owned gas pipes providing natural gas supplies to different geographical areas in northern Chile and Argentina; an electricity generating and transmitting company; two financial entities used to finance the construction of all infrastructures; and one gas marketing company.

The current shareholders in GasAtacama companies are ENDESA S.A. (Chile, 50%), which is the largest electrical energy generating company in Latin America - a subsidiary of the Spanish Endesa Group – controlled by ENEL (Italy); and the Southern Cross Group (50%), which is a private investment group with interests in Chile and other Latin American countries.

The group’s main company is GasAtacama Chile S.A. (“GA Chile”), which is both owner and operator of all activities located in Chile, such as the gas pipes and the electrical power plant, and which receives funds generated from all the group’s main clients, accounting for over 98% of the holding company’s total income.

GasAtacama Chile owns and operates a 1,200km-gas pipe that transports natural gas from north-western Argentina to the Atacama Plant (which it both owns and operates), and also transports gas from the GNL reception and regasification terminal in Mejillones (Second Region of Chile) to the Taltal Power Plant owned by ENDESA, which generates electricity for users of the Chilean Sistema Interconectado Central (SIC).

Natural Gas Transport

The natural gas transport system is comprised of the gas pipes Atacama Argentina, GasAtacama Chile and the lateral Taltal gas pipe, which have been in service since 1999 and 2000, and cover a distance of over 1,165km. The GasAtacama pipe crosses the Andean Mountain Range and the Atacama Desert, transporting natural gas from the north-western basin of Argentina to Mejillones, in Chile’s Second Region. This is where the Taltal section begins, which continues south, to La Negra and Paposo, located in the same region.

Electricity Production

GasAtacama’s electricity generation is covered by the Atacama Power Station, a combined cycle plant fired by natural gas or diesel, located on the Bay of Mejillones, 50km north of the city of Antofagasta, in Chile’s Second Region. The plant has two 370 MW generator units, each with two gas turbines and one steam turbine.

MISSION

Transport, generate and market clean energy in Northern Chile, consistently supplying a value-for-money service to mining companies, electricity distributors and industrial clients that allows them to improve efficiency and quality for their energy supply system.