In the presence of Rubén Alvarado, Executive President of Codelco; Gabriel Méndez, Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability; Julio Díaz, General Manager of the Radomiro Tomic Division (DRT), in addition to union leaders and a delegation of students from the Radomiro Tomic Romero B-34 High School in Calama, Codelco has inaugurated a fleet of 65 100% electric buses at DRT, which is the largest in northern Chile.
This initiative will benefit 800 workers daily, a number that will increase as collaborators from contracting companies join. These 65 new vehicles have been added to the existing electric buses at the Codelco El Teniente, Andina, Salvador and Chuquicamata divisions, with the company-wide fleet now totalling 250 units.
The electric fleet represents an important step towards sustainability and care for the environment, since it will reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into the atmosphere by around 40 tons per year per unit, which is a contribution to the corporate principles of ‘Deliver with excellence and innovation’ and ‘Build the future with sustainability,’ as reflected in Codelco’s Charter of Values.
“We have 250 electric buses in the company, which make up the largest fleet of this equipment in national mining and it is part of making our purpose a reality: we want to be a pillar of the sustainable development of Chile and the world,” emphasised Alvarado. He delved into the initiatives that constitute key elements in this regard. “The fact that the students of the Radomiro Tomic Romero High School are present, and that we are inaugurating these buses concerned about our own carbon footprint and how we integrate with the communities is, finally, sustainable development and what we are trying to promote in Codelco.”
For his part, Julio Díaz described overall progress at DRT in terms of sustainability. “We are fully entering the era of electromobility with these 65 buses. Also in 2026, contracts with 100% renewable energy will be incorporated and the first cubic metres of desalinated water will arrive. The way we are going to operate in the division has to live up to the best sustainability standards.”
The activity also included the participation of workers and the companies Buses JM, the bus operator; charging station and electrical infrastructure provider Enel X; and Cabal, representatives of the Chinese electric bus manufacturer Zhongtong in Chile.