Ecuador constitutional court won't hear appeals to revive US$3bn Llurimagua project

Ecuador's constitutional court decided not to hear appeals aimed at resuming the US$3bn Llurimagua copper-molybdenum project.

The appeals were filed by the ministries of energy and mines and environment, the public prosecutor's office, and Exploraciones Mineras Andinas, the local exploration unit of Chile's state copper miner Codelco.

The parties were notified on April 23.

The decision means that a ruling from March 2023 by Imbabura province's supreme court suspending the environmental license, stands, mining lawyer Andrés Ycaza told BNamericas.

Llurimagua has been paralyzed since then.

As part of the ruling, Ecuadoran state mining company Enami EP, which owns Llurimagua in partnership with Codelco, was ordered to comply with the project's consultation mechanisms and prepare a new environmental impact study and environmental management plan for the advanced exploration phase.

Ycaza said the ruling implies a challenge for Enami EP, which conducted the EIS and is embroiled in a legal dispute with Codelco.

In 2022, Codelco initiated proceedings against Ecuador before the World Bank's International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes over the failure to advance Llurimagua.