News and Press Releases

Colbún S.A. announces that water will be released into the Colbún Reservoir

Colbún S.A. announced that starting September 24 at 9:00 am, it will begin a gradual, controlled spillway release at the Colbún Reservoir, with an initial flow of around 50 m3/s. The reservoir is at 97.1% capacity, and the measure aims to free up storage space ahead of rising inflows and forecasted rain in the coming days. The company reiterates its call for residents to stay away from the banks of the Maule River.

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Colbún S.A. announces that water will be released into the reservoir Colbún

Colbún S.A. announced that starting September 3 at 10:00 am, it will begin a gradual, controlled spillway release at the Colbún Reservoir, with an initial flow of around 50 m3/s. The move comes as the reservoir sits at 97.4% capacity and aims to free up storage space ahead of rising inflows and forecasted rain in the coming days. The company reiterates its call for residents to stay away from the banks of the Maule River, and states it maintains ongoing monitoring of weather and hydrological conditions in coordination with authorities, committing to promptly share the exact day and time once confirmed.

Colbún S.A. announces preventive spill at the Colbún Reservoir

Colbún S.A. will begin a preventive spill at the Colbún Reservoir on Thursday, August 27, at 9:00 a.m., starting with a limited flow of about 50 m3/s — roughly a 20% increase over the Maule River's current flow. With the reservoir at 98% capacity, the gradual, controlled operation is designed to free up storage ahead of rising inflows and forecast rainfall. Water released downstream will never exceed what the reservoir takes in. SENAPRED declared a Yellow Alert for San Clemente and Colbún on Tuesday the 25th, and the public is asked to stay away from the Maule's banks all the way to its mouth.

Canutillar Power Plant Supplied 33% of Los Lagos' Energy in 2025 and Was Key During the February 25 Blackout

Colbún's Canutillar Power Plant, located in Cochamó, covered 33% of the Los Lagos Region's electricity consumption in 2025 — equivalent to nearly 300,000 households — with 172 MW installed. Its role was proven during the national blackout of February 25, 2025: as one of only two power plants in the country certified for black-start capability, it was among the first to resume operation without drawing power from the grid, helping Puerto Montt restore service ahead of other cities. The precedent matters now because the CEN warned in June 2026 of a possible shortfall between November 2026 and January 2027 for the Los Ríos and Los Lagos regions. For Colbún, the case shows that supply security depends on operational flexibility, not installed capacity alone.

Colbún's renewable energy generation in Chile exceeded 70% in 2025

Colbún reported that its renewable generation in Chile hit a record 70.3% in 2025, above the 63% average for Chile's National Electric System, and that for the first time more than half of its consolidated installed capacity (Chile and Peru, 57%) is renewable. The gain rests on the Horizonte Wind Farm — the company's largest-ever investment — and on a growing base of renewable contracts, notably a 15-year, 1,100 GWh/year 100%-renewable supply deal with Codelco that avoids 266,000 tons of CO₂ annually. Since 2018 Colbún has cut its emissions factor by 41%, beating its 30% target, and it now supplies 24% of the electricity consumed by Chile's large-scale mining industry.

Colbún Launched the Tenth Winter Campaign for Its Angostura Power Plant

Colbún marks 10 years of its awareness campaign about the Angostura plant (Santa Bárbara and Quilaco, running since 2014). As a run-of-river plant with no reservoir, it opens its gates when flow exceeds 700 m³/s — a normal, planned winter operation, not an emergency. It coordinates with DMC, DGA and SENAPRED, informs 70+ stakeholders, and works with local communities to ease concerns.

Colbún recibe reconocimiento de Corfo por avances en economía circular

Se destacó el progreso alcanzado por la compañía en la implementación del “Acuerdo de Producción Limpia (APL) Transición hacia la Economía Circular”, programa articulado por Acción Empresas.