Chilean iron ore producer Compania Minera del Pacifico (CMP), a unit of CAP, has joined forces with a subsidiary of Engie to convert mining trucks to run on LNG under a pilot project aimed at slashing emissions.
The pilot project would last six months and includes upgrading engines of two 220-ton diesel-powered mining trucks to enable them to run on LNG, according to a statement by Engie Chile.
With this, the trucks would reduce CO2 emissions by between 20 and 25 percent and PM emissions by more than 30 percent, maintaining their current performance, the statement said.
The project will be carried out at CMP’s Los Colorados mine located in the Atacama region.
Besides the conversion of the trucks to dual fuel, it includes building an LNG refueling station.
Following the outcome of the trial, this technological innovation could be applied to other trucks in CMP’s fleet as well as to other medium and large mining sites in Chile, the statement said.
Chile’s LNG infrastructure
Last year, a unit of Spain’s HAM Group completed what its says is Chile’s first LNG filling station for trucks for Lipigas. The two firms also joined forces on another such station in the country.
Chile has two LNG import terminals, namely Quintero and Mejillones. These terminals have a combined capacity of about 5.5 mtpa.
Engie owns the GNL Mejillones terminal with a 63 percent stake and Ameris Capital has the rest.
The terminal has a capacity of 1.5 mtpa and one 187,000 cbm tank. It also offers truck loading services.
On the other side, Washington-based energy investor EIG and Belgium’s LNG terminal operator Fluxys recently completed a deal to buy an 80 percent equity stake in GNL Quintero. Chile’s Enap also holds a 20 percent in the facility.
The Quintero facility has a capacity of 4 mtpa, an LNG storage capacity of 334,000 cbm, and 2,500 cbm per day of truck loading capacity.