BHP switches to green power for Chilean copper operations starting 2021

BHP said on Monday it had signed four renewable energy contracts to supply all of its Chilean copper operations beginning in 2021, cutting energy costs by 20%.

Daniel Malchuk, president of BHP Minerals Americas, said BHP had signed contracts to cover the energy needs of Escondida, the world's biggest copper mine, and Spence, another copper mine in Chile, the world's leading copper-producing country.

These include 15-year contracts from August 2021 with Enel Generacion Chile for 3 terawatt hours per year (TWh/year) and 10-year contracts for 3 TWh with Chilean utility Colbun from January 2022.

They will displace 3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from 2022 compared with fossil fuel-based contracts, equivalent to annual emissions from 700,000 combustion-engine cars.

BHP did not give a cost for the new contracts, but said they were the most extensive signed by a corporate customer in Chile. They will result in a provision of about $780 million related to the cancellation of the existing coal contracts, which will be recognized in BHP's December 2019 half-year results.

.Asian Metal Copyright They will result in a provision of about $780 million related to the cancellation of the existing coal contracts, which will be recognized in BHP's December 2019 half-year resultsAsian Metal Copyright