Threats to the Renaico river
The problems facing the Renaico River are manifold: it is impacted by a global drought, which is exacerbated by the extraction of its water by private businesses in the area, including CMPC [1] (which has the right to “consume” 1,700 liters per second from the river) and the Mininco lumber company. These companies have a history of polluting local area water sources, such as the Tijeral Estuary, which is an important source of water for the irrigation needs of local farmers.
Mininco and CMPC are part of the Matte Holding Company, owned by one of Chile’s three most powerful families, according to Forbes Magazine. Matte produces cellulose and owns thousands of hectares (which was once native land, which the Mapuche indigenous group is currently fighting to get back), where it grows non-native species such as Pinus radiata (pine) y Eucalyptus globulus (eucalyptus). These trees consume approximately 20 liters of water per day.
Another problem is the deterioration of the watershed due to the extraction of sand and gravel, which are then used to build wind farms in the area. More than 300 windmill towers have been built, ruining dozens of underground aquifers in the process. Local leaders have shown little commitment to the area, in this sense, and the current Local Development Plan’s explicit promotion of “green” energy initiatives has confused area residents [2].
The energy produced by these large projects goes to Chile’s main power grid, where it is used by businesses and the local population. But if we analyze the data from the 2020 Energy Statistical Yearbook, produced by Chile’s Enery Ministry [3], we find that in 2020, the demand for energy from the grid reached 44%, its highest level in the previous decade. Of this percentage, 16% went to residential use, 37% to the mining sector, and the rest to industry. This means that the other 56% of Chile’s energy capacity, which is from renewable sources, is not being used for the objectives it is meant for.
According to the government [4], the plan is for public-private partnerships to use this remaining energy capacity to produce green hydrogen for export. These statistics show that the energy produced by Renaico’s wind farms is therefore not for use within Chile.
Another problem is the didymus bloom: a type of algae that alters the water quality and plant and animal habitats. This affects biodiversity, limiting the growth of other kinds of algae and reducing—or even killing—macroinvertebrates (insects, crustaceans, and freshwater snails, among others), while damaging feeding areas and fish reproduction.
The Agua Viva hydroelectric dam project would have been build just a few kilometers from the river’s source. The project was conceived with a number of irregularities, because it would have stood in an area with a high density of protected flora, fauna, and fungi. The dam was just 500 meters away from the Malleco National Reserve, and one kilometer away from the river, out of the 4.7 kilometers which would dry up. This entire area was part of the Araucaria Biosphere Reserve, which is internationally recognized by UNESCO. The dam project, first presented in 2013, was approved in 2017 by Chile’s Environmental Evaluation Service, and—among other legal breaches—it was not subject to the approval of the indigenous people living in the area. This meant that the Mapuche communities located in the Miguel Huentelén area (also known as Collipulli) were on alert to defend the Renaico River. However, the dam project was withdrawn by its parent company, Agua Viva S.A., due to protests.
[1] CMPC (Spanish: Compañía Manufacturera de Papeles y Cartones) is a Chilean pulp and paper company, being the biggest worldwide according Forbes Global 2000 2018 ranking. It is engaged in integrated forest industry, which operates as a holding company through four business centers: Forestry, Pulp, Paper and Paper Products, and Tissue. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CMPC_(company)
[2] One objective of the 2016-2020 Local Development Plan (known by its Spanish-language acronym PLADECO) was to “encourage the diversification of the regional energy grid, emphasizing non-conventional renewable energy sources and efficient energy use.” This was the last of the plan’s objectives, as stated in Table 2 of the section “Sustainable Development of Cities and Territories” (“Strategic Guidelines and Specific Objectives of the Regional Development Strategy (EDR)”), p. 113.
[3] https://www.cne.cl/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/AnuarioCNE2020.pdf
[4] https://olca.cl/oca/informes/Energia-para-quien-y-para-que.pdf