Las Bambas copper output pegged at 400,000t in 2025
The Chalcobamba pit mine, part of Las Bambas, would play a key role in output this year.
Chilean state-owned miner Codelco said on Tuesday it is planning a 25% cut in its indirect emissions by 2030, as part of a larger decarbonization plan and as industry demands grow for more traceable copper.
Codelco is the world’s largest copper producer, and mining is a heavily polluting industry. Studies point to mining as responsible for 4% to 7% of greenhouse gas emissions globally.
Codelco plans to cut its so-called Scope 3 emissions, which are indirect emissions put out by its suppliers and the most difficult to reduce. These polluting “inputs” include explosives, refractories and lubricants, Codelco said.
Scope 3 emissions account for more than 60% of Codelco’s total emissions. The miner is also working to transition the 250 buses it uses to bring workers to their job sites into an all-electric fleet. By 2030, the transition should be 40% complete, and 100% complete by 2040.
Codelco’s plan, part of a bid to slash its overall carbon footprint by 70% by 2030, is ambitious compared to its competitors’. Last year, Antofagasta Minerals committed to trimming its emissions by 10% over the same time frame, while BHP and Teck are working to completely eliminate them by 2050.
(By Fabian Cambero and Kylie Madry; Editing by Paul Simao)
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