Chile's Codelco and Ministry of Public Works Sign Agreement to Promote Mining By-Products for Infrastructure
en.Wedoany.com Reported - Chile's state-owned copper company Codelco and the General Directorate of Public Works (DGOP), under the Ministry of Public Works (MOP), have signed a technical cooperation agreement to assess, validate, and document the technical, regulatory, operational, and environmental requirements for the recovery and reuse of mining residues (environmental liabilities) and by-products in public infrastructure works. The alliance aims to lay the groundwork for the potential use of these materials in infrastructure projects, provided they demonstrate technical performance, regulatory compliance, and competitiveness compared to current market alternatives.
The signing ceremony took place at Codelco's Ventanas Division, which houses an iron silicate (copper slag) collection point—a material that, together with tailings and mining waste, forms the group of materials to be analyzed. The fundamental purpose of the alliance is to provide technical evidence for the General Directorate of Public Works to progressively enable and promote the use of these materials in future public tenders within its scope of authority, while advancing the circular economy in the mining industry and reducing the extraction and consumption of natural aggregates.
Claudio Flores, General Manager of the Ventanas Division, stated that the agreement represents an opportunity to continue providing concrete solutions to national challenges by giving materials a second life through the circular economy. The company has already conducted successful pilots using copper slag as an asphalt mix for road construction and believes such initiatives can create value for the environment and contribute to Chile's sustainable development. Joaquín Dagá, Director General of Public Works, noted that the agreement creates concrete opportunities to advance more sustainable and innovative public infrastructure; the slag at the Ventanas Division is highly favorable for eventual use as manufactured aggregate in road connection projects, while tailings from other Codelco divisions and waste from the El Teniente Division also show potential for developing diverse infrastructure solutions.
Pablo Contreras, Codelco's Climate Action Manager, commented that the agreement aims to find new uses for materials generated in operations, advancing the circular economy through safe and competitive solutions, reducing the environmental footprint, and making better use of resources.
The framework agreement has an initial term of five years and is renewable. As part of the commitment, Codelco will provide physicochemical characterization data, particle size analyses, strength test results, and outcomes from pilot projects already executed or underway, including data from 11 tailings storage facilities nationwide and technical validation of waste from the El Teniente Division—which may be used for structural backfill and soil improvement. Additionally, the company will facilitate technical site visits, sampling, and the supply of materials for laboratory testing.
The Road Directorate of the Ministry of Public Works will analyze the technical information provided by Codelco, evaluate it in accordance with the Road Manual and current regulations, study the application of iron silicate in public roads near the Ventanas Division, and promote research into the use of tailings and waste for structural backfill and soil improvement. To coordinate these actions, a technical collaboration working group will be established to review progress, propose pilot recommendations, and recommend regulatory guidelines; this platform may also incorporate participants such as mining companies, universities, research centers, municipalities, and technical institutions.
