According to former President Ricardo Lagos, Chile has enormous renewable energy potential, but it is not fully exploiting it, which could have a severe impact on the country’s copper output and international relations (pictured).
“We want to keep Chile as the world’s greatest copper producer,” Lagos said, adding that everyday operations in the country’s main copper mines necessitate the use of 350 haulage trucks, each of which consumes 2,500 litres of oil-based fuel each day, not including trucks that transport these fuels.
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Lagos, who was president from 2000 to 2006, claimed that green hydrogen had the best chance for producing “green copper” in the next years, but warned that the window for making this transformation is closing fast.
“If we don’t have green copper in five or eight years from now, we’ll be squandering our position,” he stated at the International Women’s Forum’s Cornerstone Conference in Santiago.
In January, Antofagasta Minerals showcased a prototype for a hydrogen-fueled hybrid engine for mine haulage trucks that uses batteries and cells and was partially funded by Chilean development agency Corfo.
Chile can manufacture green hydrogen by growing its solar energy producing capability, particularly in the sun-drenched deserts of the north, according to Lagos.
In that regard, he stated that solar and wind generating must be promoted more aggressively, as Chile’s previous main renewable source of power, hydro, is now severely strained due to the continuing drought.
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Finally, he argued that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as following measures by European countries to minimise their energy reliance on Russia, has turned energy generation into a matter of national sovereignty.
In this regard, he remarked that Latin America needs to develop a unified voice in order to enhance its position in a changing global scene as a result of conflict and pandemic, but he also noted the current lack of contact amongst regional leaders.
