The Quellaveco project, located in Moquegua, in the south of the country, will operate sustainably when it comes into operation, thus reducing waste, water use and energy use, said Anglo American CEO Mark Cutifani at the main event of Heading to PERUMIN, organized by the Peruvian Institute of Mining Engineers (IIMP).

During his virtual keynote speech, held on September 22, Mark Cutifani highlighted three key points they have been working on as part of this copper project, currently under construction: Industry and transformation, sustainability, and the social aspect.

Regarding the first point, he emphasized that despite political changes and price variations, significant investments are continuing to be made in the country. He explained that the projected invested capital will exceed US $ 5000 million, providing employment to 2,500 people by 2022, most of whom will be hired in the area, not to mention the businesses and job opportunities that will be created indirectly throughout the useful life of the project.

Regarding sustainability, one of its main challenges is to reduce the energy cost of copper production. He explained that to produce one pound of this material requires 16 times the amount of energy compared to what it cost 100 years ago. "This is no longer acceptable, we have to use water and energy in a more effective and sustainable way," he said.

He noted that investment is being made in new technologies and digitization systems to help develop skills and capacities in workers and communities. He assured that if these technologies are implemented, the quality of the processed mineral will be improved by between 5% and 10%; there will be a reduction in energy use per pound produced from 30% to 50% and a decrease in water use by 50%.

The use of diesel will also be eliminated and replaced by hydrogen with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.

Cutifani indicated that these technologies are being applied in Anglo American’s projects around the world and are included in Quellaveco.

Sustainable Mining Plan

He explained that the Sustainable Mining Plan they operate is built on three main pillars: environmental, social and trust.

The first highlights the commitments to use clean energy, biodiversity and reforestation projects with the aim of having positive impacts during the operation.

In the social area, its objective is to help micro and small farmers through easily accessible loans to recover and activate the local economy.

Regarding the trust pillar, new forms of dialogue have been initiated, such as monitoring committees, where community interaction forums have also been set up to build trust and provide continuous and transparent communication.

Moreover, he added that it is important to contribute to the collaborative regional development of Moquegua. In this sense, he explained that the mining company seeks to contribute to the socio-economic development of the region, bringing together mining partners but also from other sectors, to invest in infrastructure and other projects that benefit the communities in which they work and associate.

Finally, he highlighted the importance of listening to the host communities and learning to value and respect what they defend. Therefore, the highest environmental management standards will be respected for the projects as well as the reduction of the impact on neighboring communities.

"There is no doubt that the global movement towards decarbonizing and creating a greener economy will require even more copper and other minerals to make and achieve sustainability. The opportunity for Peru and other copper producing countries is before us. Communities and governments must focus on sustainable socio-economic development. We are on Peru’s side in that goal. Our industry plays a key role", he concluded.