We stand out in emissions reduction with the first natural gas and diesel ship to arrive in Chile

Reaching a new milestone in Chilean mining, Puerto Guacolda II of Compañía Minera del Pacífico (CMP) received the arrival of the first natural gas and fuel hybrid vessel for the transport of mining bulk cargo, becoming an example of energy efficiency and protection of the marine ecosystem.

Mount Ita is a bulk carrier vessel and was launched this year 2023. Its main innovation is its dual fuel system, which allows it to reduce CO2 emissions by 43% compared to traditional vessels, thus anticipating the suggestions of the International Maritime Organization's agenda for 2030.

The welcoming ceremony was attended by the Huasco provincial presidential delegate, Rodrigo Loyola; the mayor of Huasco, Genaro Briceño; the seremis of Mining, Carlos Ulloa, of Energy, Alberto González, and of Transport, Carla Orrego; in addition to the port captain of Huasco, Benjamín Schmidt; the captain of Mount Ita, Marek Woznick, and members of the executive committee of CMP, headed by the general manager, Francisco Carvajal.

The executive highlighted that the arrival of Mount Ita is in line with CMP's strategy of promoting sustainable mining for the development of the territory and its people. "The iron we have in Chile is unique. It has high quality and that implies advantages for creating a more sustainable steel at a global level, because it helps to reduce the amount of raw materials and energy used in the steelmaking process, which is reinforced with marine transport that also reduces emissions," said Carvajal.

In this line, he added that the use of this vessel "brings us closer to scope 3 emissions, those produced in the resources used to take our product to other continents. This is the first ship at the national level that has this hybrid fuel, reducing around 43% of CO2 emissions, which implies continuing to strengthen the route to decarbonization that our company is following".

Mayor Briceño, meanwhile, said: "this milestone is relevant for the community because it is a ship that is using renewable energy, and the important thing is that one transmits to the community the responsibility that the company is having in initiatives like this in Huasco".

In turn, the provincial presidential delegate emphasized that "CMP has taken an active decision to move forward with environmental improvement processes and this is significant. We are a government that wants to keep up with the changes and improve environmental regulations, and for that reason, modernizing processes, providing greater technologies and including renewable energies is substantive for the development not only of mining, but of all productive activities in the country".

Reducing carbon footprint

The arrival of Mount Ita is in line with CMP's strategy to reduce emissions in its operations, which in Huasco translates into the decarbonization of the Pellet Plant, which will gradually replace diesel with natural gas. In addition, a second electrostatic precipitator will be installed at the site.

We are also consolidating the implementation of electromobility to reduce CO2, with electric shovels at Mina Los Colorados and the introduction of a robust fleet of electric buses to transport the company's workers.

This is reinforced by other measures to minimize emissions of particulate matter, such as rail transport, where the closure of the cars and a train washing station stand out. It also highlights the construction of the Filtered Tailings Deposit, already under construction, which will compact the rock resulting from the process of obtaining iron, housing it in terraces that, in the future, will be covered with native vegetation thanks to a phytotechnology project.

These elements reinforce the creation of a more sustainable iron, thanks to the fact that no chemical or toxic elements are used in its production, since the mineral is separated from the rock by means of magnets and physical processes.