Chile's Codelco Begins Construction of 60-Megawatt Power Plant at Chuquicamata Mine

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Chilean state-owned miner Codelco (Santiago, Chile) has begun construction of its 60-megawatt (MW) powerhouse in one of the largest copper mines, Chuquicamata, located in Calama, about 250 kilometers northeast of Antofagasta City, in northern Chile.

The projected power plant is expected to be brought online in November 2010. The bidding to construct the powerhouse has been won by Chilean company Gardilcic (Santiago, Chile). The plant will be equipped with three 20-MW Pratt & Whitney (East Hartford, Connecticut) combustion turbines, a division of United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX) (Hartford, Connecticut), and will be powered primarily by diesel and secondarily by natural gas. The generators will be supplied by Brush Electrical Machines (Leicestershire, England). Plant officials told Industrial Info that the power generated in the plant will be fully utilized in the mining operation.

Today, workers at Chuquicamata returned to work after a two-day strike over higher salaries and bonuses. The strike cost Codelco about $16 million in lost revenues. Last night, 78.3% or the workers voted to accept Codelco's proposal, implying a $170 million agreement.

Chuquicamata is one of the largest copper mines in the world, and is part of the company's North Division. Codelco Norte's production is about 896,308 tons of electro-refined and electro-winned cathodes, with 99.99% purity. The company also produces about 19,065 metric tons of fine molybdenum. Other by-products are anodic sludge and sulphuric acid.

Codelco is the world's largest copper producer. The company operates through five divisions: North, Salvador, Andina, El Teniente and Ventanas. The company also owns and operates the Gabriela Mistral mine and has a 49% interest in El Abra mine.

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