SANTIAGO, July 3 (Reuters) -

Australian mining company BHP requested a permit to build a

$250 million electric trolley system at its Escondida copper

mine from Chile's environmental regulator, the firm said on

Wednesday.

The planned project includes the installation of a trolley

system to assist the transit of mining trucks in areas with high

fuel consumption, according to a company statement.

"This project will allow us to reduce fuel consumption

from our extraction trucks, and as a result move towards our net

zero greenhouse gas emissions goal in our operations by 2050,"

said BHP Escondida's chief Alejandro Tapia.