Codelco, the largest copper producer in the world, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Japanese companies Toyota Chile and Mitsui & Co (Chile) Ltda for “a strategic collaboration in the development and testing of sustainable mobility solutions in its mining divisions.” It says this agreement seeks to promote competitive and environmentally responsible mining, minimising its carbon footprint through electrification.
Codelco operates in seven mining divisions in Chile: Chuquicamata, Minister Hales, Radomiro Tomic, Gabriela Mistral, Salvador, Andina and El Teniente.
The initiative aims to generate synergies between Toyota’s expertise as a leader in the development of zero and low emission vehicles, Mitsui Chile’s experience in strategic alliances and Codelco’s extensive track record in managing world-class mining operations. The statement does not mention if the cooperation will be limited to light mining vehicles or if it will also explore larger mining equipment sustainability such decarbonising mining dump trucks.
The project contemplates the intention of sharing knowledge, carrying out studies and pilot tests in the field, “which will allow evaluating the performance and adaptability of zero and low emission vehicles in Codelco’s divisions.” Thanks to this agreement, Toyota Chile and Mitsui Chile “will obtain a comprehensive vision of the technical needs that this type of vehicles require in the mining environment, considering factors such as energy consumption, distances travelled and times of use, thus accelerating the development of technologies in line with industry conditions.”
This collaborative effort the partners say is a demonstration of the commitment of Codelco, Toyota Chile and Mitsui Chile to the promotion of sustainable solutions, aligning their experience and capabilities to implement advances in electrification in the most important productive sector of the Chilean economy.
“The agreement not only opens the door to new technologies for electromobility in mining, but also allows us to advance in our purpose of being a pillar of the sustainable development of Chile and the world. At Codelco, we are committed to innovating and leading the change towards more responsible operations with the planet, promoting alternatives that generate both environmental and social value and, in this line, collaborations with third parties are essential to successfully accelerate changes for mining of the future,” highlighted Felipe Lagno, Corporate Manager of Innovation and Technology at Codelco.
“At Toyota we see only one enemy, which is carbon emissions. Therefore, this agreement allows us to advance our goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, taking advantage of all our capacity as leaders in the zero and low emissions segment that we will make available to Codelco, to together generate sustainable mobility within mining operations,” indicated Takuya Takahashi, CEO of Toyota Chile.
“This partnership has meaning that goes beyond this particular project. It serves as a collaboration model that highlights the value of aligning with partners who share Mitsui Chile’s commitment to sustainable development, especially in decarbonisation. Moving forward, we are confident that this joint effort will create lasting value, not only for our companies, but also for the communities we serve and the environment we seek to protect. This is a testament to the power of partnerships focused on long-term impact. and marks just the beginning of what we hope will be a long and meaningful partnership,” said Kazutaka Shiba, President and CEO of Mitsui Chile.
Toyota Chile, with its Toyota, Lexus and Kinto brands, began operations in Chile more than 40 years ago and today leads the national automotive market. As a global company, a leader in innovation, it has been a pioneer in the search for sustainable mobility solutions, positioning itself as one of the actors with the most experience and track record in zero and low emissions technologies.
Toyota Chile has a network of 57 points of sale, covering all regions of the country. The company promotes the adoption of multiple solutions that contribute to carbon neutrality and thanks to historical leadership in this matter, today 70% of the hybrid vehicles circulating in Chile are Toyota and Lexus.
In 2023, Toyota Australia signed a MoU with BHP aimed at enhancing safety and decarbonisation measures within BHP’s Australian operations, and the two companies have just announced a trial of the first-ever Battery Electric HiLux double cab ute prototype at BHP’s Port Hedland operations in Western Australia.