- Write by:
-
Friday, March 15, 2019 - 11:15:25 AM
-
1073 Visit
-
Print
Mining News Pro - Miner Anglo American on Thursday completed the installation of a floating island of solar panels in a tailings pond associated with its flagship Los Bronces copper mine outside the Chilean capital of Santiago, a bid to boost efficiency at the deposit.
According to Mining News Pro - The 256 panels, tethered to the bottom of the artificial lagoon to ensure proper orientation even in strong winds and changing water levels, have the capacity to produce 86 kilowatts, the company said.
"It`s an excellent alternative for generating energy and making better use of water"
Chile mining minister Baldo Prokurica, who attended a ceremony inaugurating the project, said he saw the pilot program, the first of its kind, according to Anglo American, as a model to follow.
"I hope that, in practice, it extends to other in the country," Prokurica told Reuters. "It`s an excellent alternative for generating energy and making better use of water."
Global miners are increasingly seeking innovations to boost efficiencies, lower costs and reduce use of water at mines. In Chile, the world`s top copper producer, that has largely meant a turn to solar power and desalinated sea water.
Los Bronces` high altitude location on the outskirts of heavily populated Santiago has forced the company to seek alternatives. Tailings from the production of copper at the mine are piped 57 kilometers (35.4 miles) to the lower-altitude pond, where they can be reused in industrial processes.
The pond`s newly installed solar panels, besides generating electricity, also aid in reducing evaporation of water, improving efficiencies, according to the company.
Los Bronces produced 370,000 tonnes of copper in 2018.
Short Link:
https://www.miningnews.ir/En/News/347114
Chile’s state-run miner Codelco plans to select a partner for a future lithium project in one of the country’s top salt ...
A Native American group has asked all members of a US appeals court on Monday to overturn an earlier ruling that granted ...
Codelco is exploring more partnerships with the private sector as Chile’s state copper behemoth looks to recover from a ...
The London Metal Exchange (LME) on Saturday banned from its system Russian metal produced on or after April 13 to comply ...
Peru’s Las Bambas copper mine, owned by China’s MMG, is facing renewed blockades of a key transport route after failed ...
Vitol Group confirmed that it’s starting to rebuild a trading book for metals after a long stint out of the market, with ...
Chinese investors are snapping up stocks tied to high-flying metals from copper to gold, aiding an onshore market facing ...
Copper traded near a 15-month high as supply concerns and brighter demand prospects triggered a slew of bullish calls on ...
Copper jumped to its highest intraday price since January 2023 as the bellwether industrial metal faces rising tighter ...
No comments have been posted yet ...