ENEL X and SQM present Enade “E-TRUCK”: the first 100% electric high-tonnage truck for large-scale mining

Santiago, April 20, 2023 – At the Private Enterprise National Meeting (ENADE), Enel X and SQM presented “E-Truck”, the first 100% electric high-tonnage mining truck, which will operate at SQM’s facilities in the Antofagasta Region.

The new 28-tonne Yutong-brand “E-truck” for mining will make 86-kilometer trips from the Coya Sur plant in María Elena to the port of Tocopilla, traveling an estimated 7,500 kilometers per month. This will eliminate approximately 12 metric tons of CO2 per year.

The project is designed to test the autonomy of electric trucks for use in large-scale mining and their construction capacity to function at the same level as comparable diesel mining trucks. It will also validate the truck’s performance and its high-capacity charging infrastructure, and will determine how it adapts to the plant’s regular schedule, its work sites and its high salinity.

Enel X and SQM developed a capital lease model for the purchase of the electric truck and the installation of a 150 kW charging station that can fully charge the truck’s battery in three hours. The charging infrastructure will be installed at the Coya Sur plant in María Elena, guaranteeing more than 200 kilometers of autonomy.

“The introduction of the first high-tonnage electric mining truck is a new milestone in the development of electromobility in Chile, which we are proud to be leading with our partners at SQM.  This is a fundamental step in the efforts to move towards an increasingly clean energy matrix, and it also contributes to decarbonizing and electrifying the mining industry, which is the country’s most important production sector,” observed Enel X CEO Karla Zapata.

Rodrigo Jasen, Global Logistics Manager  commented, “This initiative is part of our Corporate Sustainability Plan. Together with other goals and environmental commitments, it is designed to make the company carbon neutral by 2040. This is an important milestone for us as one of the world leaders in the production of lithium, a key input for the development of electromobility. We are also relevant players in other products that contribute to improving quality of life, such as iodine, fertilizers and solar salts for the production of clean energy. We have made progress on different projects such as installing an off-grid electro-power station at the Antofagasta Lithium Chemical Plant, a high-power charging station at Coya Sur, electric vans and buses at different sites and incorporating mobile electric maintenance workshops, a pioneering intiative in the national mining industry.”

The success of this project consolidates both companies’ efforts to incorporate electric solutions into different types of processes, but especially in transportation. It will be carried out progressively, leveraging lessons learned and making adaptations in order to move forward in electrifying the entire fleet of SQM and other large mining companies in the medium term. 

About Enel X

 Enel X Chile offers an ecosystem of solutions that transforms energy into new opportunities in different sectors associated with smart public lighting projects, energy efficiency, charging infrastructure for electric mobility, distributed generation, energy efficiency solutions in public and industrial institutions, and the mass market (residential). Each of Enel X’s solutions aims to meet the objectives of decarbonization, electrification and digitalization based on sustainable and innovative actions to benefit cities, companies and people.

About SQM

Based in northern Chile, SQM has provided solutions for human progress for 53 years through its five business lines. Its products are essential for the health, food and technology industries and for the generation of the clean energies that move the world.

SQM is a company that was built and is managed based on a culture of excellence, safety, sustainability and integrity. It seeks to position itself as a leader in sustainability in order to create a “green” brand through ongoing efforts to responsibly manage natural resources, care for the environment, build close relationships based on trust with local communities and create shared social value.