Antofagasta Minerals has recently commissioned a desalination plant that cost more than $2 billion to build. The plant, a part of its flagship Los Pelambres copper mine, is aimed at relieving the effects of severe drought that has hit its production.
According to Reuters, the mine is the first to operate with desalinated water in an area of the country that has suffered a 15-year drought, sucking water from reservoirs and sparking concern over the fresh water supply. The company plans to pump 400 liters of water per second for use at Los Pelambres. Construction of the plant began in 2019.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric commended the project, saying: "Especially with the climate change crisis, we must be not only a mining country, but also a country at the cutting edge of responsible, sustainable mining."
Chile's historic drought has impacted nearly every aspect of life in the nation that is the world's top copper producer, Reuters notes. Mining companies outside the drought-struck Coquimbo region are already using seawater in their activities.
Theodor Lisovoy, Editor in Chief of the European bureau, Rough&Polished
