Antofagasta copper mines trigger off solar powered mine in Chile

Author: Paul Ploumis
12 Sep 2014 Last updated at 05:06:33 GMT
SANTIAGO (Scrap Monster): Antofagasta, is a Chilean based mining group and is the largest privatized mining group in Chile and not only that, but also, the company is rated as the ninth largest copper producer in the whole world. In the agreement made by both the companies, the solar power provider will provide the mining company with the power produced in Javiera solar photovoltic project, which has the capacity of about 69.5 megawatts under a contract period of 20 years.

The project, however, reveals the tensions regarding the process materializing the concept solar powered mine, especially in Chile, where the Sun Edison has been planning renovated methods in order to save money by converting the methods of storage and generation of energy, most importantly in the matter of power storage when the sun is not out at night, but the plant will have to work 24 hrs.

By any measuring standards Los Pelambres is one of the best copper mines in the world, producing about 400,000 tones of copper last year. Other than copper mine also specializes in the production of molybdenum, silver and gold. Last year’s records showed that, the mine has produced about 9,000 tons of molybdenum and 5000 ounces of gold.

Andrew Lindsay, the director of Antofagastas stated in a conference, which took place yesterday, stated about the power situation of the mine in Chile, the power cost, particularly in South Chile tends to increase and is highly variable, but as the deal with the solar power provider, would certainly create an equality regarding the price, and is highly diversifying.