Chilean Copper Miner Seeking Renewable Energy Supply

• Codelco has opened a call to source 2,500 GWh of renewable energy supply annually
• It seeks to use this capacity to power its operations in central and northern zones, and for any other demand of the company or its contractors
• This power supply is sought for the period between January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2040

Chile's state-owned copper miner Codelco has invited bids to procure 2,500 GWh renewable energy annually to power its operations in the central and northern zones and any other demand or electricity consumption of the company or its contractors, starting from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2040.

Codelco says this 2,500 GWh/year is equivalent to the annual residential consumption of the Valparaíso region. The call is open to both national and international companies. Companies shortlisted in the prequalification process will be invited to submit final bids.

"Cleaning up our energy consumption means eliminating 65% of our total carbon footprint, which, in turn, is 15% of the footprint of the national copper mining industry and 4% of Chile's footprint," said Codelco's Vice President of Supply, Mauricio Acuña.

Codelco launched the tender on January 12, 2023, and will accept bids till February 10, 2023. Further details are available on its website.

Codelco aims to reduce its carbon footprint by 70% and achieve 100% green electricity supply for its activities by 2030. To comply with this objective, the miner has renegotiated its existing contracts with some suppliers as Engie, Colbun and AES Andes.

Earlier this year, it signed an agreement to have AES Andes replace coal supply for its Ministro Hales and Radomiro Tomic operations with up to 1.6 TWh/year of renewable energy between 2026 and 2040.