September 15, 2026

 

Researchers agree on the key gaps and benefits associated with integrating distributed generation into large-scale mining operations, noting that it could address issues such as rising energy tariffs, surplus capture, and supply continuity.

Integrating distributed energy generation into industrial processes presents a scenario filled with multiple challenges. This initiative aims to align with the 2026–2030 Energy Roadmap presented by the Ministry of Energy—an agency focused on advancing toward a secure, resilient, and competitive energy system that incorporates efficiency and renewable energy for all productive sectors.

According to experts, the primary hurdles to overcome today relate to scale, geography, and system design. They maintain that large-scale mining requires a continuous energy flow to power massive machinery; furthermore, they emphasize the need to understand consumption profiles, the specific characteristics of on-site electrical grids, and the potential synergies between generation, storage, energy efficiency, and demand-side management.

This view is shared by Víctor Pérez and Rodrigo Moreno, academics from the Faculty of Engineering and Sciences at Adolfo Ibáñez University (UAI), who spoke with *Revista Nueva Minería y Energía*. “The first challenge concerns scale and load profiles. A large mining operation demands firm power 24/7—with load factors nearing 90%—whereas distributed generation is modular and primarily daytime-based. Without 4 to 8 hours of storage, it offsets solar energy against consumption but does not replace firm supply,” they note.

“The second challenge involves electrical integration. The internal grid operates alongside SAG mills, crushing circuits, and pumping systems, where a voltage drop lasting just seconds can result in hours of lost production. Incorporating inverters requires redesigning protection coordination, short-circuit levels, and power quality parameters to comply with current technical standards,” the academics add. Added to this is the challenge posed by the geographical setting where installations such as solar panels, storage batteries, or generators would be located—an environment characterized primarily by the presence of tailings, airborne dust, high altitude, logistical difficulties, and remoteness from urban centers.

“The third challenge is territorial. Solar radiation in the north is exceptional, but the land surface is already committed to open-pit operations, waste dumps, and tailings facilities; furthermore, the asset has a 25-year lifespan, whereas the mining plan is reorganized every cycle. Additional factors include high altitude, dust accumulation in an area lacking water for cleaning, the safety of lithium batteries in confined spaces, and the cybersecurity of the control systems integrated into the operation,” note Pérez and Moreno.

Benefits

Regarding the benefits that adopting technology to store and distribute clean energy within mining operations brings to the national mining sector, the Adolfo Ibáñez University academics argue that such technology helps mitigate operational issues—such as tariff hikes—while enabling the capture of surplus energy and modular CAPEX, among many other advantages.

“We wouldn’t frame this in terms of decarbonization, because major mining companies have already done what made sense: securing long-term renewable supply contracts, with nearly all of them declaring a goal of 100% renewable energy by 2030. Scope 2 emissions are already addressed through contracts. What remains to be tackled involves diesel use, heat generation, and operational continuity. The compelling argument centers on productivity and resilience; energy accounts for roughly 15% to 20% of operating costs, yet an hour of downtime at a concentrator plant costs an order of magnitude more than the energy consumed during that hour—a fact clearly demonstrated by the national blackout in February 2025,” they explain.

Key concrete benefits include protection against tariff hikes and transmission toll volatility; the ability to capture solar energy surpluses that are currently curtailed; and the facilitation of fleet electrification without the need to pay for grid reinforcements. …and modular CAPEX, with timelines of 12 to 18 months—in an industry accustomed to decade-long projects.

The contribution of distributed generation to the national mining sector, the academics add, primarily translates into the incorporation of technology families with varying levels of maturity. Examples include photovoltaic-battery hybrid systems featuring grid-forming inverters—capable of establishing grid stability and providing synthetic inertia—controlled by a management system with solar forecasting capabilities that transform a solar plant into operational infrastructure.

Another category, they add, consists of modular, transportable solutions—such as photovoltaic plants and solar towers with storage—designed for critical lighting, perimeter security, connectivity, worker camps, and mining exploration. “Their appeal lies in their ability to move alongside the active work front, and there is already proven experience with them across multiple large-scale mining operations,” they note.

Solar thermal solutions are also available regarding process applications—the most undervalued opportunity, which is already being piloted at Laguna Carén Park, home to the country’s first solar steam plant. Finally, there is the electrification of fleets, particularly in underground mining, which reshapes the entire landscape. ‘By switching from diesel to batteries, local generation coupled with storage shifts from being a marginal cost-saving measure to acting as a buffer that avoids the need for costly grid connection upgrades,’ they explain.

Integration

For Claudio Pérez, Head of the Renewable Energy Area at the Energy Sustainability Agency (AgenciaSE), the Ministry of Energy’s ‘Energy Roadmap 2026–2030’ sets the course; it commits to achieving at least 1 GW of installed distributed generation capacity by 2030—effectively doubling the capacity that existed as of April 2026. Furthermore, the plan aims to deploy 65,000 new solar photovoltaic systems for self-consumption across various sectors, including commercial, agricultural, and industrial operations.

Consequently, a key challenge lies in successfully integrating distributed generation into industrial processes that demand high levels of supply continuity, reliability, and quality. ‘In mining, simply installing renewable capacity isn’t enough; one must understand the consumption profiles of each process, the characteristics of the site’s electrical grid, and the potential synergies between generation, storage, energy efficiency, and demand-side management,’ he notes.

‘Added to this are particularly demanding conditions for the equipment, such as extreme temperature fluctuations, dust, high altitudes, logistical hurdles, and great distances from urban centers,’ Pérez adds.
He also points out existing design gaps, arguing that not all loads within a mining operation require the same approach. ‘Distributed generation can be especially attractive for auxiliary loads, worker camps, water treatment and pumping plants, workshops, warehouses, administrative buildings, or facilities located far from the site’s main grid.’ “In these cases, photovoltaic solutions combined with storage can reduce costs while simultaneously increasing energy resilience,” he notes.

This is particularly relevant in the context of the 2026–2030 Energy Roadmap, which places significant emphasis on moving toward a more secure, resilient, and competitive energy system, and on incorporating energy efficiency and renewable energy for self-consumption across all productive sectors.

According to the experts consulted, the priority is not merely to increase the number of installations, but to create the conditions for distributed generation to be integrated cost-effectively and deliver tangible benefits to consumers.

 

Courtesy of Nueva Minería y Energía magazine.