Lundin's Candelaria Mine in Chile Gets Lifetime Extension Approval

Written by Amir Richani for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Lundin Mining (Toronto, Ontario) received the environmental approval to expand the lifetime of its Candelaria mine in Chile.

Lundin Mining received the approval for the environmental impact assessment (EIA) from the Regional Environmental Commission of Atacama (COEVA) to extend the life of the mine until 2040. The mining company will receive the final resolution from the Chilean environmental agency by October this year.

The mining company had introduced the EIA request to expand its operations at the mine in 2020.

Candelaria is an open pit and underground copper, silver, and gold mine with the capacity to process 75,000 tonnes per day, located in the city of Copiapo. Candelaria is part of the Candelaria mining complex, which also includes the Ojos del Salado mine that comprises the Santos and Alcaparrosa underground mines. The complex operates at a rate of some 205,000 tonnes per day.

The Candelaria complex also includes a port facility and a desalination plant located in the town of Caldera, about 100 kilometers from the mine.

Lundin acquired 80% of the ownership interest of Candelaria from Freeport-McMoRan (Pheonix, Arizona) in 2014, with the remaining 20% currently held indirectly by Sumitomo Metal Mining Company (Tokyo, Japan) and Sumitomo Corporation (Tokyo).

For this year, Lundin has projected copper production at the Candelaria complex at 145,000-155,000 tonnes and a gold output of 85,000-90,000 ounces. Last year, Candelaria produced 152,000 tons of copper, about 86,000 ounces of gold, and 1.6 million ounces of silver concentrate.

The extension of the mine's life for another ten years also includes enhancements to current operations and the expansion of the Candelaria mine and its related La Española project. The Candelaria Underground Expansion Project, better known as CUGEP, and the Española open-pit project aim to increase the mine's production.

The stripping operations of the La Española mine are expected to begin in January 2024, with a forecasted production start by 2027, according to a company report.

Subscribers to Industrial Info's Metals & Minerals Project and Plant databases can click here for a full list of related project reports and here for a profile of the Candelaria mine.

"We are very pleased to announce approval of the Candelaria Optimization and Operational Continuity 2040 EIA. This announcement is the culmination of a comprehensive process and reflects our long-term commitment to our employees, our communities, the region, and the country of Chile. Approval enables the construction of various facilities and initiatives that, together, represents continued investment and local employment," said Peter Rockandel, chief executive officer of Lundin Mining.

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