This infrastructure project includes the acquisition and operation of a 144-kilometer-long water pipeline that transports 1,194 lps (110,678 m3/day).
Antofagasta Minerals and a consortium formed by Almar Water Solutions, part of Jameel Environmental Services, and Transelec are going to launch a project that will enable a water transportation system for the 'Centinela' mining operation, located in Chile.
The initiative, which represents an investment of approximately US$ 1.5 billion, will double the current supply of seawater by improving the existing pipeline, as well as the construction of a second pipeline, Alma Water Solutions reported in a statement.
To support this expansion, the agreement between Antofagasta Minerals and the Almar Water Solutions/Transelec consortium will increase water supply to the site "supporting mining operations in a safe and sustainable manner", particularly for the extraction of copper and gold from the mine. All this expansion will be managed by Aguas Esperanza SPA.
This infrastructure project includes the acquisition and operation of a 144-kilometer-long water pipeline that transports 1,194 lps (110,678 m3/day), supplying seawater 60 kilometers north of the mining site in Michilla, where the port is located. of Sentinel.
In addition, it contemplates the construction and operation of a new pipeline 144 kilometers long and 650 lps (56,333 m3/day) parallel to the existing one to provide seawater and facilitate the planned expansion of the mine through the second concentrator project. , also known as 'New Sentinel', which will add 144,000 tons of copper, 3,500 tons of molybdenum and an additional 130,000 ounces of gold extraction per year.
The process will not use continental water nor will it involve desalination. This limited processing and offshore sourcing will contribute to the site's sustainability credentials by preserving resources in the region and limiting emissions related to the extraction process, the company has assured.
This project will begin operating in 2026 after a 20-month construction process, a phase in which around 1,500 local people will be employed. The operation and maintenance of the water system will be managed by the Aguas Norte y Desarrollo (Nordes) consortium, composed of Almar Water Servicios Latam and Transelec.
WATER PROVISION AND PRESERVATION
The CEO of Almar Water Solutions, Carlos Cosín, stated that "the scale of this project marks a strategically important milestone for Almar Water Solutions."
"Today's agreement is the latest example of the growing trend towards outsourcing in the industrial sector. With it Almar Water Solutions will not only supply water to the Centinela mine, but will also contribute to the preservation of the scarce natural sources of water in the region," he highlighted.
For his part, the general manager of Transelec, Arturo Le Blanc, has indicated that this new project consolidates Transelec as "the main supplier of non-continental water for large-scale mining", following the contract signed with Codelco for the construction of the desalination plant for the Northern District, through the Aguas Horizonte consortium.
"We demonstrate that in the Transelec Group we are not only experts in electrical transmission, but that we are also increasingly consolidating ourselves as a solid alternative for the development of linear water infrastructure in this productive sector," he remarked.
