The president of Chilean Codelco, Nelson Pizarro, announced Friday that the state-owned company has plans to produce sustainable copper cathode in the years to come.
In an interview with Reuters, Pizarro said that the idea is to generate a product attending to very strict environmental and social considerations. This, in turn, would result in a more expensive type of copper.
According to the executive, this pilot project is taking place at Codelco’s Gabriela Mistral mine, located in the Antofagasta region. Also known as “Gaby,” the deposit has reserves of 620Mt of oxide ore, with an average grade of 0.41% copper.
The mine seems to be a test field. Back 2013, the company installed there the thermosolar plant Pampa Elvira Solar, which generates an average of 54,000MWh/y and provides 85% of the power needed for the division’s SX-EW copper plant. Official reports state that the installation has reduced the mine’s CO2 emissions by 15,000t/y.
“We have the opportunity to seize socio-environmental variables and turn them into opportunities to create added value,” Pizarro said.
Codelco’s green plans also include the construction of a desalination plant that processes 630 litres per second and supplies water, at competitive prices, to different mining sites in northern Chile.
4 Comments
Altaf
The headline is misleading.
In any industry when they claim “to produce green product” it means, they have found a technology which absorbs less energy or uses less lethal chemicals or produces less waste or less lethal waste or occupies less space or any of that sort.
Just adding a few solar panels or wind mills and claiming to have suddenly become green is misleading.
Of course adding solar energy to the inputs is positive but does not qualify to be called a green product. Its only a business decision.
I think it goes on something like this in a board of directors meeting.
Marketing guy : I think its a good idea to install few solar to be in good books of every one.
Finance guy : But it increases cost and reduces profit?
Marketing guy : The incremental cost can be adjusted towards marketing expenses.
Finance guy : What else it does?
Marketing guy : It buys peace with all environmetal guys.
Finance guy : Hmm. OK go ahead.
Goldfinger
Altaf. You missed a part of the conversation.
Marketing guy : Hey Mr mining manager, we are thinking of going green and running our copper refinery on renewable energy.
Mining guy ( very senior manager): Renewable energy, whats that ?
Marketing guy: Its something you get from solar panels or wind. Its going to make us look good.
Mining guy: Wow renewable energy, this is great. What does it cost?
Finance guy: Its actually cheaper than spot price on the grid right now.
Mining guy: Ok finance guy lets do it. If we save any money can I buy some big yellow trucks and drills.
Finance guy: Nope youve already got enough.
Marketing guy: This is really great. We are going to look soo cool in the market we might even have some articles written about us.
Mining Guy: Like I give a sh#t. I just want some more money for some big yellow trucks.
Corporate finance guy: This is so cool, if we save a few million dollars it might boost our share price and my stock options will look good and I can make even more money before they fire me in the next purge.
Environmental manager: You know this is really important as we are taking care of the planet and saving greenhouse gasses.
Mining, finance, marketing and Corporate finance guys: Huh ???
Juan Vera
Congratulation to Codelco. This is a real support to mining industry having a clean nature and supplying raw material for the manufacturing industry.
Zulugroove
Nice … it’s simple to do !! ..so ….nice !!! …good corporate image a positive thing to have !