Chile’s power grid and major copper mines began to restore operations on Wednesday after a substantial outage caused by a transmission line failure. The blackout affected over 8 million homes and major mining activities, disrupting global metal markets. Recovery efforts have progressed, with most residential power restored and major mines resuming operations.
Chile’s power grid, along with essential copper mines, gradually restored operations on Wednesday morning following a significant outage caused by a transmission line failure in northern Chile. The blackout began on Tuesday afternoon, leading to widespread darkness across the nation and disruptions at major mining sites, which affected global metal markets.
According to the National Electricity Coordinator (CEN), as of Wednesday morning, over 90% of residential power consumption had been reinstated, although some reports indicated intermittent electricity supply in several cities. Interior Minister Carolina Toha expressed concern over the incident, emphasizing the failure of several safety measures and the repeated malfunction of various power stations during the recovery efforts.
The outage was linked to ISA Interchile, a subsidiary of Colombia’s ISA, owned by the state oil company Ecopetrol. In a statement, the general manager, Luis Llano, reported ongoing investigations into the causes of the outage, citing malfunctions in electronic and software protection systems that led to the disconnection of a high-voltage line and the consequential shutdown of the grid.
Minister Toha announced the lifting of the official state of emergency and curfew that had been imposed since Tuesday evening. While approximately 220,000 users remained without power, this number was significantly reduced from the 8 million homes impacted at the outage’s peak. Major copper mines began resuming operations on Wednesday, preparing to return to regular productivity shortly.
Sources reported that Escondida, the world’s largest copper mine, anticipated a full resumption of operations in the coming hours. Similarly, Anglo American stated its Los Bronces and El Soldado mines, along with its Chagres smelter, were in the process of restoring operations. Codelco, the largest copper producer globally, confirmed that all its divisions were also gradually returning to normal activities.
“All our divisions were affected by the power outage, so contingency and backup plans were immediately activated,” noted Codelco. The effects on the production plans are currently under evaluation, with recovery prioritized by the operational teams. Additionally, Santiago’s subway service announced the resumption of services across most of its lines and stations.
In summary, Chile’s power grid and copper mining operations faced a significant disruption due to a transmission line failure, leading to a widespread blackout. Recovery efforts have made significant progress, with a return to service in many areas and continued evaluations on production impacts. The incident underscores the importance of reliable infrastructure and safety measures in maintaining operational continuity for essential services and industries.
Original Source: www.tradingview.com
