Second major desalination plant inaugurated at Escondida mine, Chile

April 11, 2018

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SANTIAGO, Chile –

Mining giant BHP Billiton has inaugurated another desalination plant at its Escondida mine in Chile in a bid to wean itself off of freshwater.

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Costing US$3,430 million, the development will provide 215,000 m3/day of desalinated water for mining activities in a bid to eventually reduce the site’s dependent on aquifers.

Located 170 km southeast of Antofagasta and 3,100 metres above sea level, the Minera Escondida mine development is part of BHP's plans to cease using fresh water in Chile from 2030.

Construction of the plant required an investment of This included two 42” pipelines to transport the water to 3,200 metres above sea level, four high-pressure pumping stations, a reservoir at the mine and high-voltage electricity infrastructure to operate the system.

In order to ensure the electricity for pumping the water, BHP awarded a long-term contract for the development of the Kelar Power Plant, which was originally designed to use coal but was converted into a combined-cycle natural gas plant.

The development is in addition to the company’s much larger desalination plant, at nearly twice the capacity, which has been in operation for twelve years.

Mauro Neves, president of Minera Escondida, said: “At present we are operating three concentrators simultaneously, an unprecedented situation in the mining world, giving us a greater processing capacity with which to maintain our copper output. In this, the new desalination plant plays a crucial role.”  
Daniel Malchuk, president of BHP Minerals Americas, indicated that “this plant reflects our deeply held belief that it is possible to practice sustainable mining, which is both an ethical imperative and a fundamental condition for the business.”