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.
Located in Cochamó and one of only two power plants in the country certified to perform black-start startups, Canutillar was one of the first facilities to resume operation without drawing power from the grid, which allowed Puerto Montt to be among the first cities to have service restored during last year's February blackout .
Santiago, July 2026. In southern Chile, the same region for which the National Electric Coordinator's (CEN) June 2026 Supply Security Study warns of a risk of shortfall next summer, one of the power plants that already proved its value when the system needed it most is in operation. The Canutillar Power Plant, operated by Colbún, covered 33% of the Los Lagos Region's electricity consumption during 2025 — equivalent to the average consumption of nearly 300,000 households — with 172 MW of installed capacity, according to the company's newly published 2025 Sustainable Impact Report.
Its role became clear during the national blackout of February 25, 2025. Located in Cochamó, it was one of only two power plants in the country certified that year to perform black-start startups, within a system of 23 enabled units. Canutillar was one of the first facilities to resume operation without drawing power from the grid, which allowed Puerto Montt to be among the first cities to have service restored.
The Coordinator's Warning
This precedent is relevant once again. In its Supply Security Study released last June, the CEN warned of “a tight supply period starting in August and a risk of shortfall between November 2026 and January 2027 for the Los Ríos and Los Lagos regions,” contingent on the simultaneous occurrence of low inflows, high temperatures and low wind generation output.
For Colbún, that is precisely the point: supply security depends on the flexibility of infrastructure and its ability to respond to contingencies, not just on installed capacity alone. Canutillar contributes increasingly decisive operational attributes to the system, such as providing stability and security to the electric system in the southern zone, responding to contingencies and offering recovery capacity.
“What happened on February 25 showed that energy reliability and resilience are not abstract concepts: they are the concrete ability to respond when the system needs it. In a more electrified country, with greater industrial demand, renewable growth and more demanding climate events, having infrastructure ready for critical moments will be an enabling condition for the continuity of productive activities and essential services,” said José Ignacio Escobar, CEO of Colbún.
