Cerro Verde plans to invest more than US$1.43 billion to expand the La Enlozada treatment plant

Cerro Verde Mining Company plans to invest more than US$300 million in the expansion of the wastewater treatment plant La Enlozada, key infrastructure for water management Arequipa. The initiative is part of the optimization plan recently approved by Senace, which will also extend the mining operation's lifespan until 2053.

The expansion aims to increase the treatment capacity of La Enlozada at an additional average of 1,000 liters per second annually. Currently, the plant processes approximately 1,800 liters per second and, with the planned works, will be able to reach a capacity of 2,800 liters per second.

“We are going to invest more than US$300 million in the expansion of the wastewater treatment plant so that it can treat an additional 1,000 liters per second on an annual average. La Enlozada’s current capacity is 1,800 liters per second; with this expansion, it will be able to treat 2,800 liters per second,” he said. Julia Torreblanca, Vice President of Corporate Affairs for Cerro Verde.

The project is part of the second Modification of the Environmental Impact Study (MEIA) of Green Hill, Approved by the National Service of Environmental Certification for Sustainable Investments (Senace). This approval allows for the advancement of a series of operational optimizations that extend the productive horizon of the mine in Arequipa.

Torreblanca explained that the approved optimization significantly changes the projected operational lifespan. “The optimization gives us the opportunity to extend our lifespan, which was previously 2045. With this approval, once we obtain the construction permits, we will be able to extend it until 2053,” he indicated.

To finalize this process, the company must obtain building permits from the Ministry of Energy and Mines (Minem). The executive specified that the investments will not be executed all at once, but progressively and in stages.

The optimization includes expansions and adjustments to key operational components, such as waste rock dumps, changes to the height of the tailings pond, and the expansion of La Enlozada.

In addition to the more than US$300 million allocated for the expansion of the treatment plant, Green Hilland maintains other commitments related to the development of water infrastructure and sanitation in Arequipa. These include US$1.16 billion for projects prioritized by Sedapar and US$5.1 billion under the "Work for Taxes" program.

The company has also considered a second wastewater treatment system at an additional cost of approximately US$450 million, contingent upon the expansion of La Enlozada being completed by 2060 through Works for Taxes.

In parallel, Green Hill faces challenges specific to the first quarter, associated with the rainy season in Arequipa and the lower copper grade of the extracted ore. According to Torreblanca, these factors usually affect the mining pace during the first months of the year.

Despite this, the executive highlighted that the team's performance and the company's operational culture have allowed for sustained favorable results in a context of technical challenges. “The price of copper is with us, the grade is not always what we would like, but the work of our team makes the results favorable,” she added.

With the expansion of La Enlozada and the mine's extended lifespan, Green Hill seeks to strengthen its operational continuity, provide greater water infrastructure for Arequipa, and maintain its economic contribution through employment, taxes, and long-term investments.