Chile and Germany: A partnership based on trust, respect and friendship
The German-Chilean Mining Forum, which takes place alternately in Chile and Germany, celebrated its 13th edition in November 2024. This central event within the framework of the bilateral cooperation agreement on mining and mineral resources was organised by AHK Chile, the German-Chilean Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Under the motto “Multidimensional Cooperation for Responsible Mining and Resilient Supply Chains”, the forum highlighted the variety of opportunities for cooperation at different levels and areas. The aim was to promote an ecosystem for responsible and sustainable mining in both Chile and Germany.
Cornelia Sonnenberg, Managing Director of AHK Chile, opened the event with a speech that emphasised the deep friendship and productive cooperation between the two countries. Participants included Suina Chahuán, Chilean Secretary of State for Mining, and Susanne Szech-Koundouros, Deputy Director of the Department of Raw Materials Policy, Circular Economy, Resource Conservation and Environmental Law at the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Action (BMWK) (Figure 1). The latter emphasised the strategic importance of this bilateral cooperation in her speech.
“The annual forum serves as a platform for discussing key issues relating to mining and raw materials. In doing so, we address relevant issues that concern us as an institution and create space for new partnerships. German industry has traditionally been an important provider of clean technologies for Chilean mining, and this will continue to be the case in the future. But we cannot ignore the other aspects: the joint research and development of new technologies, the challenge of building transparent and resilient supply chains and the opportunities to attract investment for projects of different scales. All these important topics were discussed at the forum and we are looking forward to seeing them realised in concrete projects,” emphasised Iris Wunderlich, Project Manager for Mining and Sustainability at AHK Chile.
Susanne Szech-Koundouros added: “Germany and Chile jointly stand for an economic policy that combines transformation and climate compatibility. As strategic partners, we not only share values, but also show that sustainable raw material extraction and processing is possible – based on responsible practices and compliance with strict ESG standards.”
The event began with the first panel “Strategic Knowledge Clusters for Resilient Supply Chains”. Participants included Prof. Christoph Helbig from the Bavarian Centre for Battery Technology (BayBatt) at the University of Bayreuth, Arlene Ebensperger from the Chilean Ministry of Mining, Michael Schmidt from the German Mineral Resources Agency (DERA) and Tore Hartmann from the German company GEA. Together with Roberto Parra, Professor at the Department of Metallurgical Engineering at the University of Concepción, they held a discussion on cooperation in applied research as part of the national lithium strategy. The session was moderated by Pamela Valdivia, Head of the State of Bavaria’s Representative Office for South America.
In a second block, this time moderated by Maritza HenrĂquez, Director of Women in Mining Chile, the focus was on strategic raw materials and the opportunities that exist in Chile, both in large-scale mining and on a small and medium-sized scale. In this context, copper and gold mining in various regions of the country and the progress of the rare earth project were discussed. Experts included Fernando Gattas, representing SONAMI, who spoke about small and medium-scale gold mining, and JosĂ© Augusto Palma, Vice President of Aclara Resources, who presented the rare earths project in the municipality of Penco, where these important elements for future technologies are to be extracted in a sustainable manner. On the European side, Jennifer Howe from Aurubis, a leading buyer of raw materials in Chile and the world’s largest copper recycler, took part.
A final panel delved deeper into innovation and technology, with German companies RWE Technology International, represented by Max Pingen, Innomotics, represented by Joel Sierra and Francisco Barrientos, and MAN Bus & Truck, represented by Richard Frenzen, addressing various aspects of sustainable mining, in which the digitalisation and automation of equipment, the electrification of mines and the use of alternative fuels play a key role.
The event ended with an official invitation from the German company MAN to the NGO Women in Mining to actively participate in the company’s roadshow through Chile. Test drives and training sessions will be organised in various mining regions in the north of the country, underlining the company’s commitment to promoting female talent in the industry. (AHK Chile/Si.)
