The Interministerial Committee for Just Socioecological Transition (CITSEJ) has approved a special plan for Mejillones, a commune in the Antofagasta region. The investment in this plan is expected to exceed 14 billion pesos.
Álvaro García, Minister of Economy, Development and Tourism and Energy, took part in the committee’s last meeting on December 15 at the Ministry of Environment. Mejillones was selected due to its high concentration of emission-producing industries and its potential importance for a future Bioceanic Corridor. The area also hosts the country’s largest coal-fired power plant capacity.
García highlighted the significance of this decision: “Se han discutido extensamente las oportunidades para el desarrollo productivo de Mejillones, las que son diversas en especial por ser un punto de interés para el Corredor Bioceánico, el desarrollo portuario proyectado a futuro, y tantos otros proyectos de inversión que se esperan para ese territorio.” (“We have extensively discussed the opportunities for productive development in Mejillones, which are diverse especially because it is a point of interest for the Bioceanic Corridor, projected port development in the future, and many other investment projects expected for that territory.”)
The Mejillones Plan aims to change the energy matrix and support bioremediation efforts in the bay through seaweed cultivation. It is designed to improve residents’ quality of life while encouraging sustainable growth. The plan looks ahead to 2035 with an integrated approach addressing both social-environmental and economic challenges. Its implementation will involve public and private measures estimated at over 14 billion pesos.
Four strategic pillars guide this initiative: Social Welfare and Gender Equality; Innovation and Technology for Sustainable Production Models; Labor Conversion; and Quality Employment.
With this approval, all five transition plans now fall under just transition governance: Huasco, Concón-Quintero-Puchuncaví—initiated by previous governments—and Tocopilla plus Mejillones from this administration.
