Topics such as recycling, decarbonisation, mining patents and technological developments were reviewed by executives from CMP, Grupo Arrigoni Metso Outotec and Sofofa.
On Thursday, May 11, the fourth Mininova (Mining and Innovation) meeting was held at the University of Santiago, Usach, where Francisco Carvajal, General Manager of the Pacific Mining Company (CMP), Arigoni Environmental NFU, Ivan Gianfranco Arrigoni, General Manager of the Sectoral Trade Unions and Regional Development SOFOFA director Alejandro Chequelaf and Eduardo Nilo Arenas, president of South America at Metso Outotec
“The purpose of these meetings is to work together for a better industry, mining needs us all,” said Dominic Viera, vice president of operations at MetaProject and co-founder of Mininova, a group that brings together associations, companies, universities Brings along, said. Associations, people, students and startups associated with the mining ecosystem.
At the appointment, the guests addressed a variety of topics. Francisco Carvajal, general manager of the CMP, indicated that mining is one of the major challenges in progressing the decarbonisation of the industry. “We have to move forward in the production of high-grade iron. In this niche world, we are among the top ten producers in the world and we can become number two. Chile has a geological quality that few countries have”, The businessman said. “We have magnetic iron that produces isothermal reactions, which reduces fuel use during the process, creating less pollution. Our carbon footprint is lower than the rest of the world’s production”, he continues.
Meanwhile, Gianfranco Arrigoni, general manager of Arrigoni Ambiental NFU, explained how his project came about on the eve of the rape law. “With Sofia, my cousin, (General Manager of Arrigoni Ambiental) we went to different courses to learn and internalize ourselves; After presenting our project to the board of directors, they said yes. On the same day we already had our first contract. Gianfranco and Sofía belong to the third generation of Grupo Arrigoni, a family that specializes in industrial, road and commercial infrastructure. Dedicated for over 67 years to the design and manufacture of.
The Arrigoni Ambiental NFU is located in the San Francisco de Mostazal, O’Higgins Region, and to date has an initial capacity to recycle 7% of the estimated annual generation of end-of-life tires in Chile. “In our plant, the recycling process takes place through pyrolysis, a technology employed in many countries that are at the forefront of recycling issues, such as Italy and France. Due to thermo-chemical decomposition, pyro oil, carbon black and green steel are obtained”, explained the executive.
Mining Patents and Opportunities
In other voices, Iván Alejandro Cheuquelaf emphasized that mining plays a fundamental role in climate change. “Chile has tremendous opportunities in innovation, knowledge and technological development. We have the largest copper reserves in the world, and the second largest lithium reserves, both strategic minerals for the development of electromobility”, he explained.
Eduardo Nilo Arenas of Metso Outotec, for his part, reviewed the importance of developing mining patents, noting that it is “a fundamental aspect to protect intellectual property, an important issue to work on in the future. “
