Cienaga, December 18, 2020
Attaining this milestone has firmly established Drummond as an operation committed to its communities that is safe and environmentally sustainable. Its stability helps create around 10,000 jobs in Colombia.
Twenty-five years after it exported its first coal in 1995, Drummond, in the month of December 2020, attained the new achievement of completing 500 million tons exported. It’s a historical record for the company, attained by a sustainable operation. The hard work of all of its workers has made Drummond Colombia’s main coal producer for the fourth consecutive year, positioning the country well in the worldwide market.
Drummond Ltd.’s productive chain in Colombia starts at the Pribbenow and El Descanso mines in Cesar, and continues with the railway transportation that crosses many communities. It then reaches Magdalena and enters the company’s port terminal in the municipality of Cienaga. There the coal is unloaded and deposited directly in the holds of the ships that carry the coal to around 24 different countries in the Americas, Asia and Europe.
Growing production that builds the nation, even in times of crisis
In 2020, Drummond Ltd. has faced numerous challenges: low international prices for coal, keeping an operation running in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, increasing levels of industrial safety and biosafety in the operation, and adapting to keep up production while protecting the health of all of its employees and contractors.
In addition, the company has maintained a close relationship with the communities, meeting needs that have arisen in the areas of influence, and has continued to exercise social responsibility by leading projects to strengthen the social fabric.
In the framework of the pandemic, it has focused on the key aspects of drinking water, medical supplies, and food security. It has donated more than 27,000 food baskets to neighboring towns located in the 14 municipalities in the area of influence of the mines and the port. It contributed more than 2 million liters of drinking water and close to 160,000 units of medical supplies.
Likewise, as part of its social responsibility, Drummond has adapted the projects it leads in the communities in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, providing support for productive projects and projects to strengthen education or values, or to promote responsible conduct and self-care.
“Keenly aware of the new challenges we face with the COVID-19 crisis and with the current price of coal in the market, we emphasize Drummond’s commitment to responsible mining. Today we celebrate the milestone of 500 million tons of coal exported since we started our operations in Colombia, and we will continue to work hard to generate a positive impact on our communities, contractors, and employees,” stated Jose Miguel Linares, President of Drummond Ltd.
By the close of 2019, Drummond had produced 32.6 million tons of coal, exporting 31.1 million tons. It projects exports of 29.7 million tons for the year 2020.
Drummond is grateful for the hard work of its employees to attain achievements such as these 500 million tons of coal exported, a historic moment for the company. This encourages us to work even harder in favor of nearby communities and the country’s development.
