Abstract
Chilean economy has historically based on raw materials extraction, being copper the current protagonist. Nowadays, solar energy technologies emerge as an opportunity to switch to a newer economy: a one based on knowledge. This would be possible if both industries (mining and solar) focus on solving the present and future mining issues in a challenging way by means of solar technologies. This work provides a proposal from science to foster solar-based solutions to present and future problems that the Chilean copper mining industry faces. First, we analyze electricity costs of solar energy (of today and the future) and macro-economic impacts of massive solar electricity deployment in Chile, by means of cost projections and input-output models. Secondly, we analyze the current Chilean copper mining scenario, described in “From copper to innovation, mining technology roadmap 2035” published in 2016, and propose a comprehensive and synergic integration between the solar and mining industries. We discussed a list of concrete integration opportunities with stakeholders from the solar and mining industries, and the academia, during a workshop in March 2018. First result is that solar-based electricity costs in Chile will be lowest by 2030. In complementation to this and as a result of the scenario analysis, a massive solar electricity deployment in Chile would allow the support of almost 1 million job-years assuming a positive development of economy. The scenario analysis shows that pursuing the goal of becoming a strong supporter and developer of solar technologies thoroughly helps to tackle the challenges that copper mining faces today. Finally, we identified that most of the proposed opportunities are also technically feasible, and that they would lead to a change in the operational paradigm for a copper mine, resulting in a 100% solar-based mining operation. This change requires combined efforts from the industry, government and the academia.
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