Having been the world’s copper supply giant for centuries, Chile relies heavily on its copper industry. However, the copper industry is yet to reach its full potential in boosting economic development, primarily because the majority of Chile’s smelters use old, highly pollutant processes. This results in copper concentrate being exported, leaving the value-added processing to be done in other countries. Further investment is required to improve efficiency and environmental performance.
Current Status of Copper Smelting Industry in Chile
In 2015, Chile produced more than 3.8Mt of copper in the form of concentrate, representing 25% of global copper concentrate production. However, in the same period, Chile produced 1.2Mt of copper anode, only 6% of estimated global copper anode production and a fall of 25% from1.6Mt in 2010. Chile’s 1.2Mt compared with the world’s largest refined supplier China at 7.8Mt of anode production and 41% of global market share. There are seven smelters currently operating in Chile, as detailed in the summary table below. Four are owned by Codelco, while Anglo American, Glencore and Empresa Nacional de Mineria (ENAMI) each own one smelter.
Operating Status of Chilean Copper Smelters