Cienaga, July 31, 2020
In July 1995, Drummond Ltd. made its first coal export, loading the mineral from Cesar at its maritime terminal in Cienaga to be taken to other countries. Since that time, the operation has continued to contribute to the development of Colombia, under high standards for quality and safety.
The company is currently one of the largest coal producers in Colombia, having led the market for the last four consecutive years, closing out 2019 with the production of 32.7 million tons.
To date this year, 178 ships have been loaded, exporting around 17.5 million tons to destinations in more than 24 countries. With this figure, that makes more than 489 million tons since the first export 25 years ago.
During this time, Drummond has implemented cutting-edge technology at its sites at the Pribbenow and El Descanso mines in Cesar, and at its port in Cienaga, Magdalena. Its recognition of human talent, bringing more than 5,100 employees and more than 4,000 contractors into its operation, and its environmental and social management strategies, have made Drummond a sustainable operation.
Staying Firm in Times of Pandemic is the Challenge
The destinations of the coal exported by Drummond include sectors of Asia, Europe, and part of the American continent. Even during the health crisis with the pandemic, the company has continued to ship coal to the countries that use the mineral to generate power, fully complying with biosafety protocols and with the recommendations of the government and the World Health Organization.
Press Release “Being able to continue with a project of this size in the midst of a crisis is very important for the country’s economy and especially for the economy of our region. At Drummond, thanks to the commitment of employees, our production so far has met the goals,” explained Enrique Alvarez, Administrative Manager of Puerto Drummond.
He also emphasized: “In the area of industrial safety, despite the difficulties we are working with, we have had good performance. All the people working are complying strictly with the biosafety protocol, a protocol released by our Medical and Hygiene departments.”
It must be remembered that Drummond’s continued operation is covered by the exceptions established by the government in Decree 457 of 2020. This, in addition to continuing with the production has allowed Drummond to continue its social responsibility projects, reaffirming its close relationship with the most vulnerable communities of Cesar and Magdalena. It has focused on supporting them in aspects such as drinking water, medical supplies for health professionals, and food security.
In the same way, it continues to give its support to productive projects and to the readaptation of other strategies aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, which strengthen values and education.
Drummond Ltd. would like to give special thanks to everyone who has been tied in one way or another with this operation, and to say that each area of Drummond will continue its work with environmentally-responsible practices, committed to human rights and to the communities, in order to contribute to well-being and economic growth for the region and for the country.
