The red metal deposit located in the Chilean region of O’Higgins, which is controlled by the state copper company Codelco, is moving towards green mining: it reuses tires and uses 100% electric buses
Just over 30 miles east of the city of Rancagua, in the O’Higgins Region in central Chile, after traveling a zigzagging road with the semi-white hills of the Andes mountain range as a backdrop, you reach El Teniente, the largest underground copper deposit on the planet. The mine, which has 2,800 miles of underground tunnels, is controlled by the state copper company Codelco, the largest copper supplier in the world.
From the surface, with wind blowing relentlessly, it is difficult to imagine the bustling world under the 2,200-meter-high hill, which began to be mined in 1905. From El Teniente, around 350,000 fine metric tons (ft) of copper are mined each year: it is the Codelco division that provides the largest contribution of the red metal.
Although the Chilean company remains a global leader it produced 1,324,554 fine metric tons (ft) of copper in 2023, a drop of 8.4% compared to the previous year, amid interruptions in the mines and delayed projects due to the systemic lack of investment.
Today, Codelco wants to increase its production through an injection of $40 billion over the next 10 years — a plan that will also involve reviewing the aging deposits.
For the rest of this article: https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-08-17/a-trip-to-el-teniente-the-largest-underground-copper-mine-in-the-world.html