CHUQUICAMATA MINE, CHILE Metso will deliver 11 new units of its C200 jaw crushers, 24 push feeders and 20 conveyors to the mine
Diversified engineering group Metso has clinched a significant deal to support the conversion of the world’s largest openpit copper mine into a large-scale underground mining operation.
The Chuquicamata mine, located 1 650 km north of Santiago, in Chile, is owned and operated by Chilean State-owned miner National Copper Corporation (Codelco).
Metso minerals capital business area president João Ney Colagrossi elaborates that the scope of the contract includes the engineering, supply of equipment and materials and site assistance for 12 underground crusher stations combined with a conveyor package. He says that the delivery contains 11 new units of Metso’s largest C200 jaw crushers, 24 push feeders and 20 conveyors.
“Overall, the contract constitutes one of the most sizeable crusher orders ever for Metso’s mining business.” The project is scheduled to continue to 2020.
Colagrossi says it is offering the miner an integrated solution that will carry through from engineering, crusher stations and materials handling to electrification, automation and site assistance. He adds that the savings from its energy-saving idler conveyor technology provide the company with a “competitive edge” over its competitors.
Colagrossi comments that Codelco’s decision to work with it is also due to Metso’s proven installed base of equipment and its engineering and project management capability, already an integral part of other similar operations in the region. “This demonstrates our ability to deliver on time and within budget, with production guaranteed,” he remarks. Colagrossi asserts that the Metso team was able to offer Codelco the “best deal” in terms of total cost of ownership and energy efficiency of materials handling.
“We are very proud of this order. It clearly demonstrates that we are more committed than ever to promoting excellence in our operations to help our customers create profitable and sustainable solutions. It is in this spirit that we fought and won this sizeable and strategic deal with Codelco,” he enthuses.
Codelco operates seven large mining divisions that control 8% of the world’s proven copper reserves. The miner’s 2015 yearly output of 1.89-millions tons accounted for 10% of global copper production, making it the largest copper producer worldwide.