The electricity transmission company brought together more than 200 people who listened attentively to authorities and industry leaders discuss the infrastructure challenges required for the country’s sustainable development.
With the participation of the Minister of Public Works, Louis de Grange; Plusmining Executive Director Juan Carlos Guajardo; and representatives from the Mining Council and Acades, Transelec hosted a discussion titled “Water Infrastructure for Sustainable Mining Development.” The event focused on the role of water transport systems in addressing the growth challenges facing the Chilean mining industry amidst increasing water scarcity.
Organized as part of Mining Month, the event aimed to analyze how Chile can develop the infrastructure capabilities needed to sustain its long-term competitiveness. “Infrastructure is a means to bridge gaps, create opportunities, and accelerate economic development. Water, energy, transmission, and mobility are fundamental for Chile to achieve greater and better growth,” stated Louis de Grange, the Minister of Public Works and Transport.
During the opening remarks, Transelec CEO Arturo Le Blanc highlighted that “mining is one of Chile’s key economic engines, and its ability to continue growing depends largely on having secure water sources and the necessary infrastructure to transport that water to where it is needed. The challenge lies not only in building more infrastructure but in building better infrastructure.”
In the keynote presentation, Juan Carlos Guajardo of Plusmining addressed the trends redefining global mining and the growing importance of water infrastructure for the industry’s operational continuity.
“In Chile, the challenge is not the availability of seawater, but the capacity to produce, transport, and lift it to where the mining industry needs it. Geography and the water stress affecting inland sources have made desalination a strategic solution for the continuity of mining operations,” he noted.
Subsequently, a panel discussion took place featuring Guajardo; Olivia Heuts, Vice President of Business Development at Transelec; José Tomás Morel, Research Manager at the Mining Council; …and Rafael Palacios, Executive Director of Acades, addressed the challenges of accelerating long-term infrastructure development, emphasizing the need for a coordinated vision between the public and private sectors.
Source: La Tercera Minería