AES Gener: “Although the pandemic has affected exporters who supply us with fuel, we have the necessary reserves for several weeks”

At an extraordinary meeting, AES Gener managed to approve an increase in capital of $ 500 million. The United States, the largest in its history, that will help fund its renewable energy project plan. However, in the waiting room, the ordinary meeting of shareholders was marked by an extensive analysis of the company’s situation at the height of the health crisis and the measures they took both to ensure the safety of their employees and to ensure the continuity of their work. operations.

EAES Gener CEO Ricardo Falu confirmed that he is experiencing moments of great uncertainty, not only in the countries where they work, but around the world, so today, more than ever, his actions are guided by his mission and values. ,

The head explained that the company’s plants continue to operate smoothly, with 66% of the service personnel. Of course, he admitted that “although the pandemic situation has affected some of the world’s exporters who supply us with fuel, we have taken the necessary measures to ensure the necessary supply for several weeks.” “The pandemic also made us quickly adapt to the new scenario,” he said.

Falu assured that the company’s commitment does not stop and, despite the unforeseen circumstances that the country and the world are experiencing because of the pandemic, the implementation of the strategy remains solid. In this regard, he indicated that “15% of our engineers and builders work in the field, and all necessary measures have also been taken with our contractors.”

Regarding the status of his initiatives, the Executive Director said that the Alto Maipo project – his most ambitious initiative in the country – is still under construction with 4918 employees and 87.4% completed. Only 4.5 kilometers of tunnels were left for the project to begin energy production.

In the case of the Mesamávida and Los Olmos wind energy projects, both in the Biobio region, there are delays due to interruptions in the supply chain, especially for parts that are manufactured in countries such as China, India and Brazil. Meanwhile, the Andes Solar expansion, as well as the project that combines batteries with hydroelectric power plants, are almost ready and are at the stage of commissioning and testing.

AES Gener CEO emphasized that, as with his operations, “we have prepared contingency plans to ensure that, with even more restrictive sanitary measures, we can have the necessary resources to ensure compliance with our environmental obligations and safety in various areas of work. “

“We are in constant contact with the authorities and society,” he said.

Falu was clear in his message to the shareholders, recognizing that this unforeseen circumstance would not be without problems for the company. “We live in unprecedented times. We have not had a global pandemic since 1918, and we have not had a global depression since 1930. We have never had both of them at the same time. As a company, our role is not to predict the future, but to plan based on various scenarios. ” to guarantee the safety of our people and business continuity, “he said.

And he assured: “We do not know how fast the recovery will be, but we must be prepared and contribute to make it as quick as possible.”