en.Wedoany.com Reported - GreenMineTech, as a bridge platform linking the public sector, private enterprises, and technological innovation, has consolidated its role in Chile's mining circular economy. The platform participated in the 2026 Circular Economy and Technology Summit organized by the Chilean Economic Development Agency (Corfo) on July 7 in Santiago, showcasing its work in the module "Mining Opportunities from Integrated Waste Management."
Led by CIPTEMIN and co-executed by Optimiza, the project brings together representatives from the public sector, mining companies, technology suppliers, and innovation centers to address core challenges faced by small and medium-sized mining enterprises in waste resource utilization and resource efficiency at mining sites.
Dr. Lorena Escudero, Director of GreenMineTech, presented the project's progress and highlighted that energy efficiency and decarbonization solutions are currently the most dynamic areas. She stated: "One of the main challenges of this project is to promote technologies that support resource utilization and circular economy for small and medium-sized mining. We hope these solutions will not only generate new products and processes but also recover critical minerals, thereby diversifying and strengthening mining development." Escudero added: "We see strong momentum in the development of technologies to reduce fossil fuel use and lower CO2 emissions, contributing to a more sustainable mining sector and preparing it for the environmental challenges ahead."
Dr. Cynthia Torres Godoy, Executive Director of CIPTEMIN, emphasized that GreenMineTech's goal is to accelerate the market entry of technological solutions by validating them under real operating conditions. She noted: "This is a technology platform focused on small and medium-sized mining, dedicated to addressing challenges related to water efficiency, energy efficiency, decarbonization, and climate change. Our purpose is to support the development of technologies that meet the real needs of this sector and accompany them until they achieve scaling and commercialization in Chile and international markets." Torres Godoy pointed out that one of the key lessons learned is understanding the sector's specificities: "The challenges faced by small and medium-sized mining are vastly different from those of large-scale mining. This has allowed us to better understand their gaps, including regulatory gaps, and incorporate aspects such as change management and production management to ensure the successful implementation of these technology projects."
The project has strengthened collaboration with key players in Chile's mining ecosystem. The National Mining Company of Chile (ENAMI) participates as a strategic partner, while Grupo Minero Las Cenizas has joined CIPTEMIN's General Shareholders' Meeting and Board of Directors. Both companies are members of the project's Strategic and Technical Committee. Andoni Torrontegui, Head of New Business and Innovation at ENAMI, highlighted the strategic value of this alliance: "This alliance is strategic because it addresses priority challenges for small and medium-sized mining, such as water and energy efficiency, circular economy, and decarbonization. We are about to launch two new technology pilots, with the expectation of turning them into concrete solutions for the sector." Torrontegui added that the goal is to translate these initiatives into tangible benefits for producers: "At ENAMI, we aim to be a driver for developing new solutions. By improving our processes, we also enhance the services we provide to producers and help increase the competitiveness of their operations."
Vito Furnaro, Manager of Finance and Control Management at Grupo Minero Las Cenizas, emphasized GreenMineTech's potential to pilot solutions in real operations: "We are currently in the early stages of platform implementation, but we see great potential for piloting technologies in our operations. Our activities range from exploration and mine development to mineral processing and tailings management, which provides a suitable environment for validating circular economy solutions aimed at small and medium-sized mining." Furnaro noted that GreenMineTech offers key methodologies for measuring and managing operational indicators: "GreenMineTech provides methodologies for measuring and managing indicators related to circular economy, water efficiency, energy efficiency, and decarbonization. Translating these challenges into management indicators is key to integrating them into production processes and continuously advancing toward more sustainable mining."
The discussion panel included representatives from ENAMI, Grupo Minero Las Cenizas, Elecmetal, and the Ministry of Mining, who analyzed the challenges of accelerating the adoption of new technologies and strengthening collaboration among companies, suppliers, and the state. Macarena Aljaro, Director of Technology Projects at Corfo, concluded by highlighting the contribution of initiatives like GreenMineTech to strengthening the national innovation ecosystem and accelerating technology transfer to strategic production sectors.
