The Complementary Infrastructure Project includes the construction of a backup desalination plant in case of drought and an increase in milling capacity to cope with the increased hardness of the minerals. This will increase Los Pelambres Mine production by an average of 60 thousand tons per year.
The Complementary Infrastructure Project includes a backup desalination plant in case of drought and an increase in milling capacity to cope with the increased hardness of the minerals. This will increase Los Pelambres’ Mine production by an average of 60 thousand tons per year. Up to the third quarter of 2022, 88% progress was contemplated and it is currently expected that the expansion of the plant’s treatment capacity will be put into operation during the first half of 2023.
The Project seeks to reduce the salinity of the water to make it suitable for irrigation, with energy efficiency processes. It uses solar energy to condition brackish water at competitive prices. The Company is awaiting the corresponding procedures from the Superintendencia de Servicios Sanitarios. The desalination plant is expected to produce 200 liters per second of potable water, which will cover 50% of the water well demand in Azapa.
The Project is expected to include a single desalination plant (with a capacity of about 700 liters per second (60,480 m3/d), a single port, a single transmission line, a single concentrator and a common waste facility. Teck Resources agrees to combine its respective El Morro and Relincho mining projects by establishing a 50/50 joint venture, “Nueva Union,” which will produce copper, gold and molybdenum. The mine sites are approximately 40 meters apart, and the idea is to build a utility corridor to serve both sites, thus consolidating infrastructure, reducing capital and operating costs.
