Anglo American in Chile Starts Hydrogen Mining Vehicles Journey With Inauguration of Generation Plant At Las Tortolas – EQ Mag Pro
The Chilean Hydrogen Association (H2 Chile) reports that Anglo American took an important step in Chile’s mining industry when in the presence of President Sebastián Piñera and the Biminister of Energy and Mining Juan Carlos Jobet, a hydrogen generation plant was inaugurated at its Las Tórtolas plant in the Metropolitan Region.
It is Anglo’s first step in Chile towards great rollout of hydrogen – it has already indicated that hydrogen-powered FCEV mining trucks at Los Bronces and El Soldado are part of its medium term plans once the technology has been proven at Mogalakewna platinum mine in South Africa.
“Green hydrogen is a clean fuel, which can be transported, which is competitive and is also sustainable and will allow us a huge reduction in CO2 emissions in our country,” said President Piñera at the ceremony.
With this milestone, Anglo American is making progress in decarbonising its production system with applications that are today viable: a forklift crane and a stationary application – using hydrogen and generating electricity as a solution to the intermittency of renewable energy.
Biminister Jobet stated that “Mining will probably be the most important source of demand for green hydrogen at the local level and, therefore, the commitment of mining to green hydrogen will accelerate the development of this, an industry that has tremendous potential for our country.” It is also related to the National Green Hydrogen Strategy, issued at the end of 2020.
“We are facing a productive transformation. For industrial processes that previously depended on fossil fuels, today we are beginning to consider emission-free energy alternatives such as green hydrogen,” highlighted María Paz De La Cruz, General Manager of H2 Chile, who was also present at the launch of the initiative of Anglo American. “Our country has the potential for this and we must encourage more companies to join initiatives like this one.
It is a great step that one of our partner companies is taking today,” he added. H2 Chile highlighted that green hydrogen applications in logistics represent a feasible and concrete ‘gateway’ for this new energy source in Chile.
Source: mining
