With the focus on raising awareness about the proper use of energy and how this has a positive impact on processes and the transition towards sustainable mining, Codelco División El Teniente held the second version of its Energy Efficiency Fair.

On this occasion, energy supply companies were the protagonists of the fair, where they showed technologies, advances and services associated with clean energy and its proper use, in a series of stands located in the parking lot of Colón Alto, the mining company's operations area.

This was followed by a series of talks led by Bastián Sharp, energy manager of Codelco El Teniente Division; Luis García, a professor at the University of Concepción and PhD in Mechanical, Acoustic and Electronic Sciences; and Patricio Valdivia, a professor at the University of Santiago and PhD in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering.

“I am proud to have been invited for the second time to this initiative and to see the progress that Codelco has made in energy efficiency and electromobility, because they are pioneers and a benchmark at the national level, with highly relevant and ambitious plans, which show that they are doing the work with a very good impact at the national level,” said Valdivia.

Commitment to efficient energy use

Leonardo Barría, Manager of Services and Supplies at El Teniente, stated that “as a Corporation we are very committed to going beyond what we have achieved in terms of the efficient use of our energy and that is why we are constantly seeking improvements and opportunities both in the operation and in the generation of energy.”

The event was also attended by the regional secretary of Energy of O'Higgins, Claudio Martínez, who highlighted the realization of the activity. “This version not only involves actors related to energy, but also involved workers from different areas, who were able to see the measures that Codelco has in place for energy efficiency, even beyond electricity. We have also seen how El Teniente has made progress in this area and that it is an example for the entire region,” he said.

Alfredo Olivares, Codelco's Director of Sustainable Energy Management, emphasized the work carried out by the division to leverage corporate certification under the ISO 50001 standard for energy management and El Teniente's commitment to the matter: “The interaction that was generated today also creates opportunities for workers to get to know the companies that supply us with energy. I believe that this is a virtuous circle that will allow us to seek opportunities for energy efficiency and implement innovative initiatives.”

Meeting space

One of the points that was most highlighted by the companies present was the opportunity to share with El Teniente workers and inform them about the initiatives and services they provide to the division.

“We are happy to have participated. We saw that it was a novelty for the workers to know who the suppliers were, they asked what relationship we had with Codelco and we commented on the importance of renewable energies,” said Bárbara Gómez, Assistant Manager of Sales and Customer Service at Colbún, one of the three companies that won, last month, the tender that guarantees Codelco an energy matrix with 85% renewable electricity by 2026.

Mauricio Ruiz, sales manager at Enel X, also expressed his gratitude for the fair's participation. “We came very happy to promote energy efficiency, the use of renewable energy and to motivate the operations teams to implement these solutions. We congratulate El Teniente for this initiative, which is very powerful.”