In January 2021, MINING.COM reported that Chilean copper miner Antofagasta now put the cost of expanding its Los Pelambres mine at 1.7 billion US dollars rather than 1.3 billion. The increase stemmed mainly from changed marine works and an enlarged desalination plant. The project included a desalination plant plus a water pipeline intended to support the existing mine during severe drought as well. By December 2020 the expansion was 45 percent complete, after a four-month COVID-19 stoppage.
The report showed that desalination had become a fixed component of copper mine expansions in Chile and a noticeable driver of their cost, partly as protection against long dry periods.
Source: MINING.COM