English
A recent report published by Energy and Mines has outlined the growing need for renewables in Chile and the business opportunities this presents in the country’s resource sector, summarising the key drivers and challenges for renewables in mining in Chile.
In an attempt to secure stable power at affordable prices, the Chilean resource sector is hoping to invest more in renewables for remote and grid-tied sites.
The Chilean Copper Commission predicts that there will be a rise in energy consumption in the copper mining sector, growing by 53% in the next decade. This is similarly the case in neighbouring country Argentina, where the government has set a target for 8% of its electricity to come from renewable sources by 2017, moving to 20% by 2020.
Marcos Cid, Senior Electrical Engineer at Teck Resources said “Mines need to secure 24/7 energy supply. We are considering different solutions and we see renewables as a key alternative for this challenge”. Renewable energy solutions provide significant energy savings and the costs and risk associated with the purchase, transport and storage of fossil fuels, such as oil, are avoided.
With energy generally accounting for 20-40% of operating costs, reducing electricity expenditure is now a major operational and strategic goal for the mining industry. Vergnet’s track record spans 25 years and includes successful renewable energy installations within the mining sector including a zinc mine in El Toqui, Chile, South America with six Vergnet GEV MP-C turbines and a project with Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière (SNIM), Africa’s second largest producer of iron ore, in Nouadhibou, Mauritania, West Africa, comprising of 16 Vergnet GEV MP-Cs.
Find out more about our solar applications, wind energy solutions, and hybrid energy solutions or read our case studies to learn about our renewable solutions in action throughout the world.
Follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn to stay up to date with latest news and projects.