Colombia asks Glencore to talk with the locals about the closure of Cerrejon coal mining

The Ministry of Mines and Energy in Colombia said that it would ask Glencore to hold a meeting with the authorities of La Guajira, a northern province, as well as community representatives, to discuss the closing of the Cerrejon open-pit mine. This mine is one of the largest coal mines in the world.

Glencore is the concessionaire for the Cerrejon mine, which will expire in 2034. The Cerrejon mining operation consists of a large mine site, a railway line that stretches 150 kilometers, and a port on Colombia's Caribbean Coast.

Edwin Palma said, "We do not have to wait until the remaining years of this concession expire," in a statement calling for a closure.

Glencore and Cerrejon Mine did not respond immediately to comments.

In July last year, Colombian president Gustavo Petro stated that he would unilaterally amend Glencore’s concession contract in the event the company continued to export the mine’s coal to Israel. The company claimed that it had met Petro's request.

Cerrejon's coal production in 2025 was 16.8 million tonnes, down 12.5% from the 19.2 millions tons produced in 2024.

Palma, in a press release, said that the discussions on Glencore's closure would include "investments in clean energy but also workforce retraining and development and new ventures focused on it."

Petro, whose four-year tenure ends in August, has banned new exploration contracts of hydrocarbons, minerals, and coal. This is to promote a shift towards clean and renewable energy. (Reporting and editing by Brendan O'Boyle, Sarah Morland and Nelson Bocanegra)

(source: Reuters)