Chilean environmental court confirms approval of 33.6 MW Quilicura solar project despite municipal challenge

The Second Environmental Court dismissed the claim filed by Quilicura municipality and two local residents against the Environmental Evaluation Commission’s 2023 approval of the Hugo Lorenzo photovoltaic plant. The reclamation, submitted in 2025 after an unsuccessful invalidation request, challenged the project’s environmental assessment and alleged impacts on flora, funga, fauna, soil, archaeology, landscape values, and human environment.

The tribunal rejected arguments that the project violated regulations by locating within an Ecological Preservation Area. The court determined that energy infrastructure remains permitted in rural areas under Metropolitan Regulatory Plans, a classification confirmed by the Municipal Works Directorate’s prior information certificate for the project site. The ruling emphasized that while Ecological Preservation Areas constitute a protection category established by territorial planning instruments, they do not form part of the National System of State-Protected Wild Areas.

The court found that the project adequately evaluated potential impacts on protected environmental values within the designated area. The tribunal concluded that flora, fauna, and funga assessments were conducted correctly, dismissing claims of impacts on native preservation forest. The ruling also rejected allegations of irregularities in the processing and obtaining of sectoral environmental permits.

The approved project involves construction of a photovoltaic plant with 33.6 MW total installed capacity in direct current. The development will deploy 44,736 photovoltaic panels, each with 670 Wp capacity, across the Quilicura commune site. The facility carries a projected operational lifespan of 30 years.

The decision follows similar territorial compatibility determinations by the same tribunal, including a 2024 ruling that confirmed the Chicureo Solar photovoltaic project’s compatibility despite its location in an Ecological Preservation Area under the Santiago Metropolitan Regulatory Plan. That precedent established that energy infrastructure’s relevance supersedes certain territorial restrictions in metropolitan preservation zones.

The ruling arrives as Chile’s National Energy Commission issued alerts to the Energy Ministry regarding critical electricity supply deficits projected for July and August, highlighting potential rationing scenarios that underscore the strategic importance of new generation capacity approvals.