In June 2018, Chilean copper mining company Antofagasta signed an agreement with utility company Colbún to make the Zaldívar mine the first Chilean mine to operate with 100% renewable energy.
From 2020 the mine will be powered by a mix of hydro, solar and wind power producing 550 gigawatt hours per year, which is expected to remove emissions equivalent to 350,000t of greenhouse gases per year.
"This agreement continues our move to become a more sustainable mining operation, with clean energy reducing the emissions of gases that cause climate change. In addition, as a result of a competitive tender process, we have managed to reduce Zaldívar’s future energy costs,” explained Antofagasta CEO Iván Arriagada.
The agreement will take effect in July 2020 and last for ten years. In providing energy to the mine, Colbún will certify that the energy used by Zaldívar comes from renewable sources, and this certification will also be verified by an external body.
"The signing of this contract crystallises Colbún’s vision of contributing safe, competitive and sustainable energy to the productive development of the country, and allows us to advance the development of a value offer for our clients that is consistent with our strategy of increasing our renewable energy portfolio,” said Colbún CEO Thomas Keller.