SANTIAGO -(Dow Jones)- A survey shows 55.7% of Chileans approve of the controversial Aysen hydroelectric power project, which has met staunch opposition from local and international environmentalist groups, conservative polling institute Adimark GfK said Friday.
The project, known as HydroAysen, is a joint venture between power generators Empresa Nacional de Electricidad SA (NYSE:EOC) (EOC), or Endesa, and Colbun SA (Santiago:COLBUN) (COLBUN.SN). It includes five dams and power plants to generate a total 2,750 megawatts of power and will require an estimated $3 billion to develop.
Environmentalists oppose the project as it will change the landscape and ecosystems of the Baker and Pascua rivers in the southernmost Aysen region of Chile.
According to Adimark, 25.5% of survey respondents oppose the project. Another 14.5% said they didn't know whether they were in favor of it or against it.
If built, the first plant would come on line in 2014, with the fifth one coming on stream in 2022. It would also require a 2,000-kilometer transmission line to supply the central SIC grid, which feeds the majority of the country's population.
Chilean power companies have been forced to find new energy sources since Argentina began cutting back natural gas exports to Chile in 2004. Argentine gas formerly fueled about 30% of all electricity generators in Chile, which sought to lessen its dependence on hydropower in the second half of the 1990s.
Adimark's nationwide telephone survey of 1,030 people was conducted in May. The margin of error is plus or minus three percentage points.
Pollster Web site: http://www.adimark.cl
-By Carolina Pica, Dow Jones Newswires; 56-2-820-4244; carolina.pica@ dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires 06-13-08 1126 Copyright (c) 2008 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
