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Peru miners urged to step up ESG certification efforts

Bnamericas
Peru miners urged to step up ESG certification efforts

Miners with operations in Peru should strive to obtain international certifications to improve their ESG profiles, Luke Balleny, director of standards and associations at certification company The Copper Mark, told the Perumin mining event in Arequipa region.

He said certification processes are underway for Southern Copper's ToquepalaCuajone and Ilo units and for Marcobre's Mina Justa copper project, while only Freeport McMoRan's Cerro Verde copper-molybdenum-silver mine and Southern Peaks Mining’s Condestable copper asset are already accredited by the firm, which uses independent third-party evaluations to certify responsible copper, molybdenum, nickel and zinc production.

In Chile, 12 mines are certified and “there are 10 projects in Chile that will receive certification next year. We hope that Peru can follow this example and that more companies present their applications,” Balleny said during a sustainability panel. 

Experts recently highlighted that certification will become more important and that the country should aim to have 85% of copper producers certified by 2025.

The panel also agreed that water management needs to be improved, with the goal of using technology to eliminate the use of freshwater.

Half the water needs of Anglo American's Quellaveco copper asset will be covered by non-freshwater sources by 2030, but Diego OrtegaAnglo American Perú’s corporate affairs vice president, said the company’s Los Bronces asset in Chile will cover 45% of its needs with desalinated water by 2025 and gradually replace seawater with wastewater.

“We have very high expertise in water management that can definitely be used by the government to seek long-term solutions, not only thinking about water but also about climate change,” said Ortega, during his presentation. He also invited environment minister Albina Ruiz to work together.

Companies can also achieve savings and efficiency by focusing on production processes, according to Joshua Meyer, president of FLSmidth's services business line.

"I think there is a lot of emphasis on reducing emissions in the mineral transportation stage, but if we put more focus on plant processes, small changes in the plant can have very large impacts per ton, per kilo, per pound. The plant is where energy is consumed and where water is consumed in the entire process," he said.

According to Meyer, FLSmidth installed an advanced digital process control tool that reduced annual water consumption by 14%, or 5 million cubic meters. “That is a saving of US$6mn for the mine. Before, it was believed that sustainability came with a cost, but now we see that it comes with savings.”

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  • Company: Autoridad Nacional del Agua  (ANA Perú)
  • Peru's water authority Autoridad Nacional del Agua (ANA), established in 2008 and attached to the agriculture ministry, develops policies and strategies for integrated water res...