BHP Seeks Renewables to Power World’s Largest Copper Mine

摘要

Mining giant BHP has begun an effort to supply renewable energy to its operations in northern Chile, including Minera Escondida, the world’s largest copper mine. “As a result of the tender process and taking advantage of the unique conditions that Chile offers in terms of renewable resources, BHP aspires to accelerate its transition towards this type of power generation in line with its global sustainability targets,” the company said in a May 17 statement. The company is looking to get 6 terawatt-hours annually of electricity in two blocks beginning in July 2021 and January 2022, respectively. A company expects to receive offers under a tender during June in order to award the contracts by the end of the year, a spokesman said. According to its latest sustainability report, BHP’s three copper mines in Chile consumed 4.63 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2017. Carbon Neutral BHP, a major producer of coal in Australia and Colombia, also has plans to take the company carbon-neutral by the second half of the century.