Chilean state-owned mining company Codelco announced on Thursday that it will implement the use of recycled material in grinding balls at its El Teniente mine to decrease carbon dioxide emissions. This initiative, under a five-year agreement with Magotteaux Andino, a subsidiary of Chile's Sigdo Koppers, is part of Codelco's strategy to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030.
Codelco's Vice President of Supply, Mauricio Acuna, highlighted that this contract signifies the first of its kind to exclusively utilize recovered materials in grinding balls production. Acuna also disclosed that by 2025, Codelco's Andina division will progressively adopt this circular supply approach.
The new manufacturing process results in a 53% lower carbon footprint compared to the previous method at El Teniente, enabling a reduction of 40,000 annual tonnes of CO2, a quantity equivalent to the yearly emissions of approximately 8,500 vehicles.