Techint completes seawater pumping system for Chile's Collahuasi mine
10/04/2026 19:08
SANTIAGO, April 10 (Reuters) - Construction firm Techint said on Friday it had finished building a system that will carry water from the sea to the mining operations at Collahuasi in northern Chile, one of the world's largest copper deposits. • The pumping system, part of a $1 billion infrastructure improvement project, will carry water from the coastal town of Punta Patache to the Ujina deposit, more than 4,400 meters above sea level. • Techint began the works in 2022. The improvement project aims to ensure operational continuity for two decades. • The system includes five pumping stations, six drainage station, a 49,000-cubic-meter transfer station and a 194-kilometer-long (121 mile) pipeline with a 44-inch diameter. • It will feed into a coastal desalination plant developed by Spain's Acciona that should supply 1,050 of liters per second to the operation. • Collahuasi, run by Anglo American AAL.L and Glencore GLEN.L, produced 406,100 tons of copper in 2025, down 27.3% from 2024 due harder, lower-grade ores. (Reporting by Fabian Cambero, Editing by Natalia Siniawski) ((sarah.morland@thomsonreuters.com;))