Chile's largest power generator, Empresa Nacional de Electricidad SA (EOC, ENDESA.SN), has restarted operations at its quake-damaged 128-megawatt Bocamina I coal-fired power plant, the company said Wednesday.

The earthquake, the fifth strongest on record, killed hundreds and caused widespread damage, estimated at $30 billion, in the nation's central-southern regions.

Bocamina I, located in the southern city of Coronel, supplies energy to the central SIC grid, which is Chile's largest. The SIC grid, which supplies energy to over 90% of the nation's population, runs from the northern city of Tal Tal to the southern island of Chiloe and has approximately 11,150 megawatts of installed capacity.

The earthquake also set back the construction of Endesa's neighboring Bocamina II plant, which is now set to start up operations by the end of 2011, nearly a year behind schedule.

Endesa is owned by Chilean energy holding company Enersis SA (ENI, ENERSIS.SN), which in turn is owned by Spain's Endesa SA (ELEZF, ELE.MC).

Late Wednesday, Endesa's shares were gaining 0.4% to 906.00 Chilean pesos ($1.91) per share, while the blue-chip Ipsa index was up 0.5%.

-By Anthony Esposito, Dow Jones Newswires; 56-2-715-8929; anthony.esposito@dowjones.com