The power requirements of the project, once it is in operation, are estimated at 912 GWh/year, which according to the sustainability policy and in accordance with the Antofagasta Minerals Group’s Climate Change Strategy, must be provided solely and exclusively from 100% renewable, traceable and certified energy.
In the context of the feasibility analysis by the Desarrollo Minera Centinela (DMC) project, whose investment decision is scheduled for 2022, Minera Centinela has opened the bidding process for the energy requierements that the project will require if it materializes.
The electrical energy requirements of the project, once it is in operation, are estimated at 912 GWh/year, which, according to the sustainability policy and in accordance with the Climate Change Strategy of the Mining Group, must be provided solely and exclusively from 100% renewable, traceable and certified energy.
For this purpose, Minera Centinela will carry out an open bidding for national and international generating companies, with installed or to be built generation capacity, designed with a scheme of hourly blocks and sub-blocks, and accepting associativity between companies, to facilitate the participation of interested parties. The delivery time will be flexible, ranging from 5 to 15 years.
DMC Project
If approved, the DMC Project will be located in the Antofagasta Region, in the commune of Sierra Gorda, 50 km southwest of the city of Calama, adjacent to the existing industrial mining complex of Compañía Minera Centinela, operated by Antofagasta Minerals, and which consists mainly of a 95 ktpd nominal capacity concentrator plant for the treatment of ore from the Esperanza Sur and Encuentro pits.
The commencement of the contract will be subject to the approval of the investment decision for the project, which is planned for 2022. If approved, it is expected to start operations during the second quarter of 2024.
The bidding process will be open until November 15, 2021. Interested bidders can obtain information on the process by sending their request to licitacion.energia.dmc@aminerals.cl.
Source: Portal Minería Chile (2021): https://www.mch.cl/2021/08/30/minera-centinela-abre-proceso-de-licitacion-para-suministro-electrico-del-proyecto-desarrollo-minera-centinela/# , published 30.08.2021.
