BHP has announced that it will supply all of its copper mines in Chile with renewable energy from 2021 after signing four new contracts with Chilean utility companies. The renewable energy deals will cut energy costs by an estimated 20% at the mining giant’s Escondida and...
A new report from GlobalData has forecasted that non-hydro renewable energy will make up at least 50% of Chile’s power generation base by 2030. The report, titled Chile Power Market Outlook to 2030, Update 2019, found that the share of non-hydro renewable power in Chile reached...
Chile’s state copper commission Cochilco has revealed it expects the national mining industry to attract a total of US$65.75 billion in investment over the next 10 years. The projected investment sum will encompass 44 operations, with Cochilco referencing two new lithium mining projects, three copper and...
Australia is officially the largest producer of lithium in the world after overtaking Chile’s total output in 2017, according to data from United States Geological Survey (USGS). Australia produced 18,700 tonnes of lithium last year, most of which was sourced within the nation’s hard rock lithium...
Cerro Dominador, a Chilean company owned by investment funds managed by EIG Global Energy Partners, has signed a finance agreement for its Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant in the Atacama Desert. The US$758 million deal will allow the company to finalise the construction of the first...
Chilean mining giant Antofagasta is renegotiating its long-term energy contracts in the hope that sources of renewable energy will supply power to its various mining facilities in the country. Speaking ahead of the London Metal Exchange Week, the company’s CEO Ivan Arriagada said that as prices...
BHP (ASX:BHP) has announced it will spend US$2.46 billion on extending the life of the Spence copper mine in Northern Chile, as it looks to take advantage of higher trading prices for metal. The open-cut deposit’s mine life will be lengthened by more than 50 years...
Chinese gold producer Shandong Gold Mining is seeking up to US$1.26 billion in loans to fund the purchase of a 50% stake in Barrick Gold’s Veladero mine in Argentina. The financing package could be provided by two Chinese state-owned banks, with Reuters reporting that $960 million...
Chile is mulling over a decision to increase its 2050 renewable energy target to 100%, thanks to falling costs in the renewables sector and anticipated technological improvements in energy storage. The South American nation is currently reliant on fossils fuels for a large proportion of its...
Authorities, leading industry players and unions in Argentina are expected to sign a federal mining agreement that will unify existing legislation across the country. The long-awaited agreement will come as a boon to the industry as mining investors have increasingly favoured neighbouring countries Chile and Peru,...