Floating solar panels are being tested as a way to power operations at a huge mine in Chile and reduce water loss at the site.

Mining forms an important part of the country's economy but typically exhausts huge amounts of electricity and water.

The tech is on trial by mining company Anglo American at its Los Bronces mine, as the government urges to put Chile at the forefront of renewable energy used in Latin America and the world.

The 256 solar panels are tethered to the bottom of an artificial lagoon to ensure proper orientation even in strong winds and changing water levels. "They are able to produce around 86KW", the company said.

The 1,200-square-foot (110㎡) array of solar panels was inaugurated by mining minister Baldo Prokurica. "I hope that, in practice, it extends to other [mines] in the country," Prokurica told Reuters. "It's an excellent alternative for generating energy and making better use of water."

The array floats in the middle of a pond used to contain the refuse from mining, known as tailings, and it is expected that its shadow will lower the water temperature and reduce evaporation by 80 per cent.
This means the mine would retain more of that water for its operations and could reduce the amount of fresh water it pumps in a dry mountainous region where it is a scarce commodity.

"With this system, we can make our fresh water consumption more efficient, in line with our goal of re-imagining mining and reducing Anglo American's fresh water consumption by 50 per cent by 2030, as well as the CO2 emissions by producing non-polluting energy," said Patricio Chacana, Los Bronces'vice president of operations.

If the year-long experiment works as planned, the solar panel island could be expanded and new ones could be installed at other mining ponds. Experts say there are approximately 800 such ponds in Chile.