As of January 2021, SCM Minera Lumina Copper Chile’s Caserones copper mine will have a 100% clean and renewable electricity supply, thanks to an agreement reached with Enel Generación for an annual volume of 1 TWh of certified renewable energy. The new contract will last for 17 years.

With this achievement, the company, located in the Tierra Amarilla commune, Atacama region, advances the fulfillment of one of its strategic objectives, which is to have a sustainable and environmentally friendly mining operation; while Enel Generación takes another step in its strategy to produce and commercialise clean energy.

Takayasu Kashimura, General Manager of SCM Minera Lumina Copper Chile (the company that owns and operates the Caserones deposit), indicated that “this agreement allows us to reduce emissions equivalent to 390,000 t of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year. True to the commitment of our parent company JX Nippon Mining & Metals to promote the use of renewable energy generation sources that do not generate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, we will continue to move towards more sustainable mining.”

For his part, Paolo Pallotti, General Manager of Enel Chile, commented that “we are the first renewable energy operator in the country and our generation matrix gives us the possibility of presenting more competitive and more sustainable supply options for our clients, helping together to promote the use of clean energy in Chile.”

The recently signed contract establishes as one of its central points, that the energy will come from any renewable source, wind, solar, or hydro, generated in the different Enel Generación plants, which will be certified by an independent body.