Anglo American eyes 2022 Quellaveco startup

Anglo American is moving ahead with works on the Quellaveco copper project in Peru, eyeing operation startup for 2022.

"We are going to maintain our commitment to the market to bring Quellaveco into operation in the course of 2022," Diego Ortega, Anglo American’s VP of corporate affairs for Peru, said in a webcast organized by the Peruvian-Chilean Chamber of Commerce.

Ortega added that 15,000 workers are currently working at the US$5.3bn mine.

The executive said the company is also advancing on optimizations to recover the economic impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on the project’s capex. He did not provide numbers, however.

Once in operation, Quellaveco will become one of Peru’s largest mines.

Ortega said that production of 330,000t/y of copper is expected in the first five years of operation and an average of 300,000t/y in the first 10 years.

QUELLAVECO PROJECT

Source: Anglo American-Quellaveco

Ortega added that Anglo American is analyzing the use of renewable energy at Quellaveco, which will be a highly efficient mine from the point of view of energy and water use.

"Quellaveco, together with Cerro Verde, would be the two most efficient mines in the use of water in the mining sector in Peru," he said.

Anglo American aims to to use 0.41m3 of water per ton processed.

The mine will be 100% digital and fully autonomous. It will have an integrated operation center that will allow real-time monitoring from the geological process that defines development to mineral shipment at the port.

Ortega said that despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic, Anglo American hopes to end 2020 with a 22% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions globally.