BHP has submitted a $US1.5 billion investment project to Chile’s Environmental Impact Assessment System (SEIA), setting out a plan to reopen and extend the life of the Cerro Colorado mining operation for an additional 20 years through a major upgrade and expansion program.
The initiative, ‘Operational Extension of the Cerro Colorado Mining Operation through the Improvement and Expansion of Mining Facilities and Implementation of a New Water Supply System’ (CCLE), seeks to restart and modernise the operation in the Tarapacá region.
BHP’s Cerro Colorado copper mine was placed into temporary care and maintenance in December 2023, as the site holds a remaining resource of approximately 1.7 billion tonnes at 0.36 per cent sulphide copper and was being evaluated for a restart using advanced sulphide leaching technology.
A central feature of the project is an unprecedented water solution for the region: the use of treated wastewater transported via a pipeline of more than 100km from Alto Hospicio to the mine site. BHP said the approach aligns with modern environmental and water management challenges in northern Chile, where freshwater scarcity has become a defining constraint for mining operations.
The project is also expected to generate significant economic impact, with around 1500 jobs during construction and more than 3000 during the operational phase if approved.
“This project represents an opportunity to build a new phase for Cerro Colorado, incorporating solutions that address current challenges in water management, environmental protection, and community relations,” Pampa Norte president Dee Lingenfelder said.
“We want to develop an operation ready for the future that contributes to the sustainable growth of Tarapacá and to Chile’s copper production.”
The proposal follows an extended 15-month voluntary early participation agreement (AVPT), led with regional stakeholders in and around Iquique involving open consultations and structured dialogue prior to formal submission.
If approved, the CCLE project would mark a major brownfield extension in BHP’s Chilean copper portfolio, reinforcing its strategy of maximising existing large-scale assets through technology, infrastructure upgrades, and long-term resource development.
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