Teck, AES sign clean energy supply agreement

The Chilean subsidiary of Teck Resources has signed a 17-year clean energy supply agreement with electric power company AES Andes for its Quebrada Blanca phase 2 copper project in northern Tarapacá region.

AES will deliver 1,069GWh/y from wind, solar, hydroelectric and battery plants, allowing the miner to work with a decarbonized matrix from 2025 and reduce scope 2 emissions by about 1.6Mt/y.

"Securing 100% renewable energy for our QB2 copper operation is an important step in Teck's ongoing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across our business and support global action on climate change," Teck CEO Jonathan Price said in a statement.

Teck wants to reduce the carbon intensity of its operations by 33% by 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2050.

The QB2 project targets production of around 300,000t/y during the first five years, with production estimated to start late this year or early next.

In 2021, Teck’s Chilean operations, Quebrada Blanca and Carmen de Andacollo, produced 56,400t of copper combined, according to the national mining council.

Teck aspires to become one of the world's top 10 copper producers.