Concentrate Leaching

Its objective is to remove arsenic and other impurities from copper concentrates, called complexes, from Codelco's deposits in Codelco's Northern District, particularly from the subway Chuquicamata project and the Ministro Hales Division. The project considers the use of autoclave technology, which is characterized by oxidation at high pressure and temperature, producing a solution rich in copper and a stable arsenic residue. The estimated investment for the project is US$324 million and it will have a treatment capacity of 200 thousand tons of concentrates per year, which will produce around 60 thousand tons of fine copper as cathodes.