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Water for a Sustainable Future

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Our Project

Desalination plant for Codelco

In a model called BOOT (Build, Own, Operate and Transfer), Aguas Horizonte SpA, a company founded by Marubeni and Transelec, will finance, build, own and operate the project for 20 years and then transfer it to Codelco at the end of the contract. The project will supply water to Codelco's Chuquicamata, Radomiro Tomic and Ministro Hales operations. The works include the reverse osmosis desalination plant, maritime works and a water impulsion system that will cover more than 160 kilometers with pipes to deliver the water to a reservoir to be built at Radomiro Tomic at an altitude of more than 3,000 meters above sea level.
Location

Antofagasta Region

Communes of Tocopilla and María Elena, Province of Tocopilla, and in the commune of Calama, Province of Loa, Antofagasta Region.
Desalination Plant
Water Delivery System
Pumping Stations
Industrial Water Reservoir
Electric Power Supply System
Water Distribution Systems

Sustainability

Water for a sustainable future

The Project is located at a considerable distance from the human settlements...
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Our Commitments

WATER RESOURCE

Reduced Water Footprint

The project is part of Codelco's sustainability objective to reduce the water footprint of the operations of the Chuquicamata North District, Radomiro Tomic and Ministro Hales, which seeks to reduce the use of inland water in mining processes.

840

Liters per Second

The first stage of the project will produce industrial water, which in the future will be expanded to a capacity of 1,956 liters per second.

OVER 2.700

New Jobs

They are generated during the construction phase, which will last approximately 3 years. Our hope is that as many of these workers as possible will come from neighboring communities in order to contribute to the local economy.

EFFICIENCY

Cutting-edge technology

The plant's design incorporates the most modern technologies and implements all technological advances to ensure the least impact on the environment and the highest possible energy efficiency.

Strategic Partnership

Desalination plant for Codelco's
North District

The construction of the first stage will last approximately 3 years and its operation period will be 20 years; the construction of the second stage will take 2.5 years and will be operated by Aguas Horizonte until the end of the 20-year term. After this 20-year operation period by Aguas Horizonte, all the infrastructure of the project will be transferred to Codelco, which will then continue to operate the system until the end of its useful life.
The Northern District Desalination Water Supply project will be executed in two stages: the first stage will implement the Desalination Plant for a design capacity of 840 l/s (nominal flow of 630 l/s) and the second stage will expand the plant to its full design capacity of up to 1,956 l/s (nominal flow of 1,630 l/s).