Chile’s power grid and major copper mines are gradually recovering from a significant outage caused by a transmission line failure. Over 90% of residential consumption has been restored, though some disruptions persist. Major mines, including Escondida, are coming back online, and authorities continue evaluating the incident’s impact.
Chile’s power grid and major copper mines began to resume operations on Wednesday morning following a significant outage that impacted the country, the world’s largest producer of copper. This outage was triggered by a failure in a transmission line in northern Chile, occurring mid-afternoon on Tuesday and leaving much of the nation in darkness, including major mining operations. Power firms swiftly initiated efforts to restore the system.
As reported by the National Electricity Coordinator (CEN) on Wednesday morning, over 90% of residential electricity use had been reinstated; however, some cities continued to experience intermittent disruptions. Interior Minister Carolina Toha expressed concern regarding the impact of the outage, noting that several safety protocols and backup power systems were ineffective during the incident.
The outage was linked to energy distributor ISA Interchile, a subsidiary of Colombia’s ISA, which is partially owned by the Colombian state oil company, Ecopetrol. ISA Interchile released a statement indicating that ongoing investigations are underway to determine the outage’s root cause, highlighting that electronic and software malfunctions led to the disconnection of a high-voltage line.
Interior Minister Toha announced the lifting of the official state of emergency and curfew that had been in effect since Tuesday evening. Approximately 220,000 users were still without power, a significant reduction from the peak of approximately 8 million homes affected. Major copper mines, including Escondida, have also started returning to full operations, with expectations of regular functionality soon.
Escondida, controlled by mining company BHP, is poised to restart typical operations imminently. Similarly, Anglo American confirmed that its Los Bronces and El Soldado mines, alongside the Chagres smelter, would also resume operations. Chile’s Codelco, the world’s largest copper producer, reported that all its divisions were gradually rebooting activities, with priority given to recovery efforts following the outage.
Santiago’s subway service has announced the resumption of operations across most lines and stations, signaling a return to normalcy. The government and power authorities continue to monitor the situation to ensure stability in the power supply and support for the mining sector as it navigates recovery efforts.
In summary, after a major outage stemming from a transmission line failure, Chile’s power grid and key copper mines are beginning to stabilize. Authorities have restored most of the power, although challenges remain. The incident raises concerns about infrastructure resilience, particularly for critical operations in the mining sector, which contributes significantly to Chile’s economy. Continued investigations into the cause of the outage are essential to prevent future occurrences.
Original Source: www.mining.com
