en.Wedoany.com Reported - Codelco's Radomiro Tomic mine, located in the Antofagasta Region, has been officially connected to a desalinated water supply, marking a key milestone in the sustainable use of water resources in the company's northern area. Developed by Techint E&C for Aguas Horizonte, this project is part of the Northern District Desalinated Water Supply Project (Proyecto Suministro de Agua Desalinizada Distrito Norte), aimed at providing a stable water source for the operations of the Chuquicamata, Radomiro Tomic, and Ministro Hales mines.
The water supply scheme includes seawater intake, followed by desalination at a plant in Caleta Viuda, located 14 kilometers from Tocopilla. The desalinated water is then transported through a pipeline system spanning over 160 kilometers to the mine site at an altitude of over 3,000 meters. The system is equipped with three pumping stations and corresponding storage and distribution infrastructure. Prior to the official water supply, the project underwent rigorous testing procedures, including pressurizing the main pipeline (divided into ten sections) to verify its sealing integrity and operational reliability when traversing deserts, canyons, the Loa River, and mountainous terrain.
According to Techint E&C, the project is currently 99% complete. Once fully operational, the desalination system will have a production capacity of 840 liters per second, with the potential for expansion to 1,956 liters per second.
The construction of this infrastructure has also generated significant economic and employment benefits for the local area. At its peak, the project created approximately 8,000 jobs. The gradual integration of desalinated seawater into mining operations has become a core strategy for Chilean industry to address water scarcity and reduce pressure on continental water sources, a model that is increasingly becoming dominant in large-scale mining projects.
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