Antofagasta Minerals, a Chilean mining company, inaugurated its desalination plant costing over $2 billion, reports Reuters. This facility, dedicated to serving its flagship copper mine, Los Pelambres, aims to mitigate the impacts of a severe drought that has hampered production.
Los Pelambres is pioneering the use of desalinated water in an area of Chile that has endured a 15-year drought, depleting reservoirs and raising concerns about freshwater availability. Chilean President Gabriel Boric commended the initiative, emphasizing the worrisome situation in the Coquimbo region, where Los Pelambres is situated.
"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," Boric stated during the plant's inauguration ceremony, located along the coast in Los Vilos, within Coquimbo.
Antofagasta initiated construction of the plant in 2019, aiming to pump 400 liters of water per second for use at Los Pelambres, situated approximately 55 km inland. The company plans to further alleviate water stress on the nearby Choapa river by supplying an additional 400 liters per second in a second phase scheduled for completion by 2027.
Chile's prolonged drought has significantly affected various aspects of life in the nation, especially in its capacity as the world's leading copper producer. Mining operations outside Coquimbo, notably in the northern desert region of Antofagasta, have already turned to seawater to meet their needs.
