Chilean President Gabriel Boric visited the construction site of the desalination plant that Codelco is building in Caleta Viuda, near Tocopilla. This plant, intended to supply industrial water to the state mining company's operations in northern Chile, reached a significant milestone with the completion of the assembly of the roof of the building that will house the reverse osmosis process, marking the symbolic act of scissors.
During the tour, the President, accompanied by Rubén Alvarado, executive president of Codelco, and Alex Miquel, general manager of the Aguas Horizonte consortium, observed the piping works that will take seawater to the plant and the facilities where it will be transformed into industrial water. Boric highlighted the magnitude of the work, which involves pumping water to a height of more than 3,000 meters and has generated more than 4,000 jobs, with a projection of reaching 5,600 at its peak.
The President highlighted Codelco's commitment to sustainability, underlining that the state-owned mining company will have an energy matrix with 85% renewable energy by 2026 and that it will exceed 1.7 million tons of copper in annual production. Boric also expressed his desire to inaugurate the plant before the end of his term.
Rubén Alvarado said that this project represents an opportunity for Codelco to advance in its sustainability goals, with a focus on minimizing environmental impacts and benefiting local communities. The project, which will use reverse osmosis to desalinate seawater, will have an initial capacity of 840 liters per second, with the possibility of expanding to 1,956 liters per second. In addition, the plant will have an impulsion system that will transport the water more than 160 kilometers and lift it 3,000 meters to the Radomiro Tomic Division.
The Aguas Horizonte consortium, composed of Marubeni and Transelec, is in charge of the project under the BOOT (Build, Own, Operate and Transfer) modality, which implies that, after its construction and operation, the plant will be transferred to Codelco. Alex Miquel pointed out that construction, which began 19 months ago, is progressing at a good pace and commissioning is scheduled for 2026.