en.Wedoany.com Reported - Manuel Rodríguez Mariátegui, General Manager of Cerro de Pasco Resources and President of the 2026 International Water and Tailings Congress, noted that the Quiulacocha project is one of the most representative examples of tailings repurposing in Peru. This historical deposit, accumulated over more than a century of mining activity in the Cerro de Pasco region, still contains significant amounts of silver, zinc, copper, lead, gold, as well as critical minerals such as gallium and indium, which are in high demand due to the technology industry and the energy transition.
Rodríguez stated that the project reflects a new approach to managing environmental legacy assets, which are no longer seen merely as legacy issues but are being transformed into opportunities for economic development and environmental restoration. Through a circular economy model, tailings repurposing can create value from previously discarded materials while reducing the environmental impact of historical deposits.
On the technical side, the project demonstrates how technological advances enable the recovery of minerals that were previously impossible to process efficiently or economically, contributing to improved resource utilization and the sustainability of mining activities. At the collaboration level, the partnership between Cerro de Pasco Resources, the Quiulacocha rural community, Activos Mineros (Peruvian Mining Assets Company), and the Ministry of Energy and Mines of Peru is advancing a plan that integrates economic value recovery, environmental remediation, and local development.
The Quiulacocha project has also attracted interest from financial markets. According to Rodríguez, the planned investment scale shows that historical tailings can become a tangible opportunity for responsible development when supported by technology, a long-term vision, and appropriate execution conditions. He believes Peru has favorable conditions to promote similar initiatives in other mining areas to facilitate the recovery of strategic minerals and reduce environmental legacy assets.
Rodríguez emphasized that the future of mining requires integrating sustainability, technological innovation, and social responsibility at all stages of a project, and that transparent communication and clear, simple explanations of project actions can strengthen relationships with communities. These topics will also be discussed at the 2026 International Water and Tailings Congress. Organized by InterMet, the congress is scheduled for June 11-12, 2026, at the José Antonio Deluxe Hotel in Lima, bringing together national and international experts to analyze challenges related to water management, tailings management, sustainability, and the repurposing of environmental legacy assets in mining. InterMet Perú is an organization specializing in training and professional development for mining professionals, with over a decade of experience in organizing international technical congresses.
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