2023 Performance
The Transport division continued to improve its operating activity through the implementation of its Management Model, which is based on five fundamental pillars: operational excellence, growth, transformation, community and urban development.
Operating performance
Total transportation volumes in 2023 remained broadly consistent with those of 2022, with the 7.1 million tonnes of transported material marginally ahead of the record set in 2022. EBITDA reached $82 million, a 2% increase versus 2022, primarily due to improvements in the pricing of some contracts.
Costs and operating efficiency
The division has implemented various operational efficiency improvements, optimising costs to ensure long-term competitiveness with a continuation of the Transport division’s Cost and Competitiveness Programme. Through this, we achieved significant improvements in cost structure, cash flow, and operational standards, with cumulative benefits of approximately $6.6 million over the year
Sustainability
The Transport division made significant progress in its safety performance in 2023, reducing the Lost Time Injury Frequency rate across its operations by more than half to 0.9 in 2023 (2022: 2.2).
In respect of diversity and inclusion, the Transport division made further progress in 2024, with gender diversity in the workforce increasing to 23.1% (2022: 19.9%), and the percentage of people with disabilities employed continues to exceed the legislative requirement for 1%, with a figure of 1.4% in 2023 (2022: 1.4%).
Outlook for 2024
In 2024, the division intends to maintain the progress made in 2023, when a number of contracts were either awarded or renewed. Looking ahead, the division has a robust portfolio of projects that we expect will facilitate an increase in bulk material transportation volumes.
Concurrently, the division continues to advance its strategy to transform its lands, located in the centre of Antofagasta city, from industrial to urban use. Remediation works began at the end of 2023, marking a significant milestone in this development process. Another important milestone for 2024 is the arrival of the first hydrogen locomotive, which will allow for a reduction in CO2 emissions in the coming years.
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