Codelco completes closure of former Llanta drying and filtration plant

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Codelco has completed the closure of the former solar drying and filtration plant in the Llanta area, restoring the site to its natural environment. This is the first closure project of its kind implemented by Codelco, setting a precedent for the restoration of facilities that have reached the end of their useful life.

The facility played a strategic role in the production process of the Salvador Division (División Salvador) for more than 40 years. The operation was located in Llanta and was used to transport concentrate to the Potrerillos Smelter (Fundición de Potrerillos): slurry from the Concentrator Plant (Planta Concentradora) traveled approximately 24 kilometers by pipeline to these facilities for filtration.

After the new Filtration Plant (Planta de Filtros) came into operation in 2017, the closure process for the old facility was initiated. The old facility was built in the 1950s and covers an area of approximately 210,000 square meters.

The project involved industrial demolition, civil, mechanical and electrical engineering, environmental management and earthworks, removing foundations, floor slabs, piping, residues and scrap metal, with a total volume of structures and materials exceeding 10,000 tons.

Patricio Viveros, General Manager of the Salvador Division, stated that the company's first operational closure has been completed and that Codelco is now advancing its future in a sustainable manner, restoring spaces that are no longer part of its operations.

David Agüero, Project Director of the Salvador Division, said that this is an important step in continuing to advance sustainability, and that the division is proud to have completed the company's first work of this kind.

Diego Díaz, PMO expert engineer at the Project Management Office (Dirección de Proyectos), added that the closure work was carried out through multidisciplinary collaboration, and that all material removal was completed under approved conditions for the transport and disposal of residues and recyclable scrap metal.