Chile's Codelco renews solar heat off-take contract with Innergex

• Chilean state-owned copper miner Codelco said on Monday it had renewed a contract with Canada's Innergex Renewable Energy Inc (TSE: INE) to continue utilizing solar heat to recover copper at its Gabriela Mistral Division mine in northern Chile.

Innergex has a 55% stake in the 34-MW Pampa Elvira solar thermal plant, which has been supplying heat to Gabriela Mistral Division considering that 2013. Codelco makes use of solar thermal energy at the same time known as copper electrowinning to replace diesel consumption in water heating boilers, the miner claimed.

The new contract come into pressure on April 1, 2023. It will run until December 31, 2032.

"This clean power project allows us to prevent the emission of 15,000 tons of carbon dioxide each year, while at the same time accomplishing savings of greater than USD 2 million each year", claimed Mauricio Acuna, Codelco's vice-president of purchase.

Pampa Elvira creates heat with solar thermal collection agencies situated on Gabriela Mistral Division's land in the Antofagasta area. The plant is said to be with the ability of creating more than 40,000 MWh of thermal energy annually, allowing the mining firm to change about 60% of fossil fuels made use of in electrowinning.