Expected impacts

• Incorporation of water efficiency processes.
• Mitigate climate change by reducing the use of inland water to process ore (inland waters are permanent freshwater bodies that lie above or below the surface and removed from coastal areas - except for mouths of rivers and other waterways).
• Decrease water stress (this occurs when the demand for water is higher than the amount available during a given period or when its use is restricted due to inferior quality).
• Prevent potential conflicts over water use.

Proposed solutions

• Change the paradigm of mining planning, incorporating an estimate of the value and availability of water over the long term.
• Enhance efficiency in high water consumption processes in each division. 
• Strengthen instruments to better identify water losses.

• Standardize governance in all divisions. 

• Prioritize engineering projects that improve tailings thickening equipment in concentrator plants at Chuquicamata, Ministro Hales, Salvador, Andina and El Teniente, while optimizing costs and deadlines. 
• Implement advanced analytics in high water consumption processes.
• Create a culture of efficient water use.
• Incorporate Codelco 's C+ management system into processes related to the use of water resources.

• Standardize process operational guidelines.  

Progress

EL TENIENTE THICKENER UPGRADE

The improvement project for thickener 2 of the El Teniente Division concentrator seeks to recover about 60 liters per second more than the fluid that is currently recovered. 

THE CALAMA CLUSTER PRET PROJECT

The Talabre thickened tailings storage facility project (known locally as "PRET") entails an optimized thickening process of this fresh mine waste from the Chuquicamata, Minister Hales and Radomiro Tomic divisions before it is deposited in the storage facility, for the purpose of recovering more water. According to the 2022 Business and Development Plan (BDP), the project will come into operation in 2027, and will ramp up for two years to reach the committed concentration values.

NEW MINISTER HALES DIVISION THICKENER (INFRASTRUCTURE)

The construction of a new thickener seeks to increase water treatment and recovery from the concentrator. 

REFURBISHMENT OF THE SALVADOR DIVISION THICKENER 

The thickener of the Salvador Division concentrator will be refurbished, and new flotation standards will be established to improve solids concentration from 44% to 53%, recovering more water in the process. This is one of the benefits of the Rajo Inca project. 

ANDINA - PMFC

The project considers supplying water for repulp or removal of tailings and walls from the Piuquenes storage facility as part of the corresponding closure process, using the discharge of the mixed effluent from the molybdenum and copper filtering plant. Additionally, this water may also be used as recirculated water and eliminate the discharge of liquid industrial waste from the regular operation of the Andina Division.