New Plant 1

February 27, 2019 - Chilean copper giant Codelco's Chuquicamata smelter is expected to restart operations in April after shutting down in December for upgrade works needed to comply with new emissions rules, local press reported.  New regulation came into effect in Chile on December 13 requiring copper smelters to capture at least 95% of the arsenic present in emissions gases. Codelco had been working for some time on a US$2bn program to upgrade its four smelters but works were not complete at Chuquicamata or the Salvador division smelters by that date and both were halted. Half of the total investment is going to Chuquicamata.  The upgrade program had originally been estimated to require US$1bn.  Codelco "believes we will be in a position to start the launch at the beginning of April, making the necessary efforts to absorb the effects of the meteorological events of early February," a Codelco representative said, according to local daily Mercurio de Calama. The Chuquicamata mine and other copper operations in northern Chile were halted due to heavy rains at the beginning of the month.  Works at the Chuqui smelter include the construction of two acid plants. During the smelter stoppage, Codelco has been forced to sell copper concentrates, leading to daily losses of US$41mn, the paper reported. Codelco was not immediately available for comment.  Chuquicamata produced 137,000t in 1H18 and is undergoing an underground conversion to expand production and extend its life, which is Codelco's most advanced strategic project.