Chile's CAP Group Plans to Turn Huachipato into a Vaca Muerta Hub

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Chilean mining and steel conglomerate CAP Group (Grupo CAP) presented the progress of its industrial transformation plan for the Huachipato site in Talcahuano during a technical visit following the Neuquén-Biobío Binational Meeting (Encuentro Binacional Neuquén-Biobío). The Group's strategic objective is to leverage the site's facilities and maritime infrastructure to create a hub for the logistics, port, and energy sectors, channeling oil and gas production from the Vaca Muerta basin to Asia-Pacific markets.

The delegation included Chile's Minister of Energy, Ximena Rincón; President of the Infrastructure Policy Council (Consejo de Políticas de Infraestructura, CPI), Eduardo Frei; Governor of the Biobío Region, Sergio Giacaman; and Chile's Ambassador to Argentina, Gonzalo Uriarte. The delegation assessed the receiving, storage, and dispatch capabilities of Huachipato Terminal Portuario (HTP).

CAP Group's technical proposal relies on the existing Gasoducto del Pacífico (Pacific Gas Pipeline) and Oleoducto Trasandino (Otasa, Trans-Andean Oil Pipeline), which directly connect Neuquén Province with the Biobío Region. CAP Group's General Manager, Nicolás Burr, accompanied by Huachipato's General Manager, Jean Paul Sauré, and HTP executives Patricia López and David González, stated that during Huachipato's transformation, the Group is committed to expanding its capabilities into new industrial and logistics-port activities; one of its competitive advantages is the connection to Neuquén through the aforementioned pipelines, positioning the Group as one of the export gateways to the Pacific and the west coast of Latin America.

Regarding the scale of industrial assets, CPI President Eduardo Frei highlighted the potential for physical integration of the port area. He noted that this site offers a development platform spanning twenty to thirty years and could become the future of Biobío, connecting the port, manufacturing, and new plants through energy integration projects; the challenge lies in transforming this complex into a first-class logistics and technological center in southern South America. Minister of Energy Ximena Rincón, in turn, pointed out that Talcahuano's transportation and offshore terminal infrastructure is a strategic factor in exporting Vaca Muerta resources to Asian consumption centers.

At the regional development level, Biobío Regional Governor Sergio Giacaman stated that Huachipato's existing infrastructure helps build a service platform with international reach, with the goal of using these capabilities to improve connectivity, strengthen industry, and leverage the built infrastructure to attract new investments together with Neuquén.