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When the coronavirus pandemic hits the regional economy hard, generating a progressive but alarming increase in unemployment, investment and the start-up of large projects appear as an urgent need to get the productive machine of the region back on track.
In this sense, mining, as is already known, is one of the most outstanding activities of the regional productive matrix, since more than 90% of local exports are contributed by this item. And therefore, in the midst of this health crisis, the growth of the extractive industry is vital.
It is in this context that for this next Tuesday, the “first blast” of what will be the execution of the Phase V North project of the El Romeral Mine, belonging to CMP, a historic iron deposit located 22 kilometers northeast of La Serena, is scheduled. and that contemplates an investment of up to 50 million dollars.
Approved on August 31 by the company’s board of directors, this initiative already has the respective environmental permit for its execution, and includes a series of infrastructure works, both in the El Romeral deposit, and in the transportation of the mineral to Guayacán and in the port itself.
Contribution to the local economy
In this regard, the general manager of CMP, Francisco Carvajal, explains that the objective of Phase V North, “is to give operational continuity to iron mining in the Coquimbo Region for at least one more decade, so the current production levels in the Elqui Valley, which in our previous plans ended in 2022 ”.
In this sense, the executive recalled the major works undertaken 70 years ago to replace the El Tofo-Cruz Grande mining complex, through the construction of Minas El Romeral, the railroad and the Port of Guayacán. And for this reason, he assures that, with this project, it is sought that, as happened in those years, “the community sees and feels that these changes are also a contribution to its development, renewing the commitment of Compañía Minera del Pacífico with the development of the territory and its population”.
Furthermore, he affirmed that in the midst of the pandemic and with a collapsed economy, investments such as these are required, reiterating that the project to expand the deposit includes additional works.
“The intervention, in addition to promoting mining exploitation, aims to strengthen all the infrastructure in the area, from the mine itself to the Port of Guayacán. In fact, we are already advancing in works to improve both the railway line and the Port of Guayacán that will allow us to maintain our operation in the coming decades. But it is not just a review with an industrial purpose. We want the community to see and feel that these changes are also being made to improve their quality of life, ”he said.
More jobs
CMP currently has around 6,000 workers, both its own and contractors and including project teams, 98% of whom reside in the Coquimbo and Atacama regions.
In this sense, the project will undoubtedly be a contribution to the creation of jobs in the region, so necessary these days.
In this regard, the general manager of CMP stressed that one of the characteristics of the company is that “we always give preference to workers in the areas where we operate. In these months of health emergency, this condition has been a very important factor in the operational continuity of CMP ”.
For this reason, Carvajal points out, in the works of Phase V North of Romeral, as well as in the arrangements of the railroad and also in the adjustments of Puerto Guayacán, “we will privilege local contracting. During the construction phase we will employ about 250 people and in the operation phase our current staff will increase marginally ”.
In that sense, the mayor Lucía Pinto, who this Thursday held a meeting with CMP executives to learn about the project, pointed out that Phase V North “will be a contribution to the economic reactivation of our post-pandemic region.”
“As a government”, he stated, “we are encouraging private investment in our region and we will continue working together with all the unions in a coordinated way to carry out the Step by Step Chile Se Recupera reactivation plan, and developing all the instances to move forward together once the coronavirus is over ”, he assured.
Auspicious screenings
For the general manager of CMP, Francisco Carvajal, the outlook that is beginning to open up for iron mining is promising, as this mineral has been one of the few, along with gold, that has not suffered so strongly from the given price shock due to the pandemic effect, as has occurred in other markets.
“In the case of iron,” explains the executive, “the price has increased by 17.5% compared to the price it had at the beginning of the year. At the local level, this better price has encouraged the reopening of small producers that had stockpiles or open mines with good quality iron, with some of which CMP has supply contracts and we are in negotiations with others to also buy part of their production primary school ”, he stressed.
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