An interesting article in today’s Wall Street Journal on the shift to solar and wind by large mining operators in Chile. The article underlines the competitiveness of renewables for mining in this part of the world. The article features companies that all participated in the recent Renewables and Mining Summit in Chile. If you would like copies of the presentations from the summit contact andrew.slavin@energyandmines.com
Interesting factoids from the article include:
- Codelco’s Mistral mine has replaced 80% of its diesel consumption (that was trucked to an altitude of 8700 feet) with energy from solar.
- Ernst and Young estimates US$1 billion will be spent on renewables by the Chilean mining sector by 2022, compared with $37 million in 2013.
- Electricity prices in Chile doubled in the last decade to about $100 per MWhr
- The Chilean government is targeting 20% of electricity generation by renewables by 2025. In May renewables capacity was at 11%. Last year 982MW of renewables capacity added compared with 244MW in 2013
- Chilean Copper mines expected to double their energy consumption in the next 10 years.
- In 2014 Antofagasta’s Los Pelambres mine began receiving 20% of its power from wind.
The full article can be read here