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Chile can make desalination of water required for mining

Thursday, January 8, 2015
"A bill proposed by a group of deputies of Chile wants to make mandatory the use of desalinated water in mining operations. The measure, which seeks to use sea water in mining processes, would be imposed on mining companies that consume more than 150 liters of water per second.
In a statement published on the website of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile, on 30 December, the authors of the bill (Bulletin 9185) state that, in addition to limiting the availability of fresh water in the world, there is an unequal distribution of resources in different continental surfaces, resulting in areas of abundance and scarcity of water in the country. Lawmakers cite the example of northern Chile: one of the driest areas of the planet, which has few surface water resources, but coexists with a growing demand for water by the different productive activities, especially mining. "Communities in the Atacama, the driest desert in the world, often feel they have to compete with mining companies for their water supply. A president who promises to fight for the poor, can not sit and do nothing about it, "said an executive of the mining sector, who declined to be identified. Some mining companies have already introduced desalination plants in their Chilean operations, including BHP Billiton, Freeport McMoRan and-state Codelco. The problem is that the desalination cost in the country have increased in recent years come to be two times higher than in the States. The removal cost of the entire salt water in Chile is about $ 5 per cubic meter, similar to that of Brazil, while in the United States and Mexico, the same process comes out to around $ 2.3 / m³ and US $ 2.8 / m, respectively. The current Chilean law stipulates that mining companies have the right to use any water that encounter while performing their duties. But as the resource has become increasingly scarce, especially in the north where they are most mining operations, the authorities began to evaluate a possible reform of the Chilean Water Code, dating from 1973-1990, a period the military regime of General Augusto Pinochet. The mining sector, which uses significant amounts of water, is one of the main pillars of the Chilean economy, with copper exports accounting for one-third of government revenue. Late last year, Copper Commission of Chile (Cochilco) said demand for fresh water of the copper industry in the country is expected to grow 38% by 2021. With information from the website of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile."