SQM EcoChallenge

EXPONOR 2024

To participate in this challenge, we invite you to visit us at Exponor 2024 (Booth 21, Outdoor Area B) and record a 2-minute video explaining your solution and its business case, addressing the following questions:

• What value does your solution offer in terms of opportunity cost?
• Which key performance indicator would it improve, and how?
• What makes your solution unique?
• Why should we consider it to address our challenges?

We will contact participants whose proposals meet our needs in the following categories:

1. Decarbonization
2. Waste reduction and/or valorization
3. Responsible water management

Decarbonization

We seek to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions through the use of technologies and innovations.

• Reduction of GHG emissions in our processes, both direct and indirect.
• Innovations for the capture, storage, and/or utilization of CO₂.
• Technologies promoting efficient energy use, including energy management systems and solutions for reducing energy losses.
• Solutions for the use of renewable energy in our operations, including generation and storage of renewable energy.
• Optimization of industrial processes to minimize fossil fuel usage and maximize energy efficiency.

Waste reduction and/or valorization

We want to reduce the amount of waste generated, either through the implementation of recycling and reuse practices, the development of more effective waste treatment technologies, or the adoption of more sustainable design approaches.

• Technologies for recycling and reusing materials in our production processes.
• Solutions for energy valorization of waste.
• Waste reduction in production processes through efficiency improvements or process redesign.
• Development of biodegradable or easily recyclable products or materials.
• Intelligent management of industrial waste.

Responsible water management

For SQM, the responsible use of water is a key aspect of our production processes, given the scarcity of this resource in some of the locations where our operations are located. We are interested in solutions that allow more efficient water management at all stages of our process.

• Optimization of water use in industrial processes through technologies for water recycling and reuse.
• Real-time monitoring and control of water consumption in our operations.
• Solutions for reducing water losses in production processes.
• Use of alternative water sources, such as rainwater harvesting or treated wastewater.
• Technologies for efficient and environmentally friendly desalination.

At SQM, we are constantly searching for innovative solutions to tackle the challenges of Decarbonization, Waste reduction and/or valorization, and Responsible water management. We are interested in receiving your solution as a business case, highlighting the value it offers in terms of opportunity cost for our company. We want to understand what makes your solution unique and why we should consider it as a viable option to face our current challenges.

If we receive a proposal that piques our interest, we will contact you to conduct a simulation and analyze how your solution could be integrated into our operations, as well as conduct an economic evaluation to determine the feasibility of incorporating this solution into our site. The next step would be to carry out a pilot of the initiative.