The construction of the new water pumping system for Compañía Minera Doña Inés de Collahuasi will contribute to its sustainable growth as well as that of the Tarapacá Region, thanks to responsible engineering and a construction approach enshrining innovation, efficiency, solidity and reliability.

The water pumping system for the Compañía Minera Doña Inés de Collahuasi, being built by Techint Engineering & Construction for over the last year, has already reached the 65% marker.

“It’s a great source of pride to have achieved the milestones scheduled in the project. The results obtained during 2023 reflect the range of opportunities opening up for Techint E&C in different market segments,” says Ricardo Juan, Sr. Project Manager.

Leadership, growth and diversity, the three features underpinning the project

From a safety point of view, the project's accident indicators reflect a positive balance, testament to the excellent performance of the personnel involved. Lisandro Martínez, Project QHSE Sr. Manager, explains: “Our focus is on creating visible leadership on the ground, mainly to strengthen preventive aspects and reinforce the standards established by the company for project development. Staff training is also critically important, as are monitoring and control routines,” he points out.

Martínez adds: “For the C20+ project in particular, we have a highly talented team that’s intent on growing as much as possible. It’s made up of employees from Chile, who are familiar with the legislation and local idiosyncrasies, as well as expatriate personnel with the necessary expertise and knowledge of Techint E&C standards, particularly skilled in building pipelines and plants.”

Rafael Quijada, Project Environment Specialist, shares a positive evaluation of the project from an environmental point of view, and emphasizes the importance of being able to place trust in the staff running the area. “As a team, we’ve been present throughout all the stages of the project, featuring high standards of discipline and resilience. The result of all these joint efforts, particularly those invested in training, can be seen in all the improvements achieved on a daily basis. Our next goal is to improve our reporting and compliance with the Environmental Qualification Resolution which has reached nearly 100%,” he adds.

The RCA is the administrative document issued by the Environmental Assessment Service, once the Environmental Assessment process is completed, and it certifies that the project has been satisfactorily approved and meets requirements.

Efficient logistics to meet goals and objectives

The Logistics Department at C20+ has established a well-integrated and committed team, which has notched up some high-impact indicators. “We had to tackle all kinds of challenges during 2023. We carried out air and land transportation, accommodated almost 6,000 people, and transported over 3,000 pieces of heavy machinery and construction materials, for instance. There’s no doubt that the greatest challenges had to do with logistics, taking into account each of the requirements and procedures included in our company’s Integrated Management System, as well as those required by our customer Collahuasi. Then we had to hire and train local labor, ensuring they gained a comprehensive vision of the processes, systems and people,” explains Carlos Zani, Project Logistics Sr. Manager.

As for the next round of challenges, the project management area estimates that these involve: dealing with the next phases in plant and pipeline building, planning the demobilization of equipment and materials, optimizing costs, and developing a new system for a logistics platform. This tool will be fundamental for the General Services and the Logistics department in the coming months. Other priorities continue to be road safety and the development and implementation of improvements in planning and internal controls.

During 2023, the team tackled challenges involving the use of automatic welding and interior lining, performed by a robotized system, which ended up being a successful exercise. Then there were all the complexities of the earthworks, a large-scale activity of great relevance, as it required a solid construction and environmental management approach in order to meet the schedule and deadlines.

Luis Patricio, Sr. Construction Manager, joined the C20+ in 2023, and found himself with a consolidated team efficiently developing a project that was fully underway in accordance with the planning schedule, all running very smoothly. “Techint E&C has a great deal of experience from a technical and technological point of view, which is the knowhow lying at the heart of the project. The greatest challenges had to do with supply and coordination, considering that the pipeline is over 200 kilometers long and has several locations distributed along it,” he explains. He also highlights the commitment and transversal nature of the project leadership, crucial to achieve success.

Victor Boloque, Instrument Supervisor, arrived at the C20+ a little over a year ago. For him, the fact that the project leaders have a profound grasp of the dimensions and importance of the work is the key to this unprecedented success. “I’m really optimistic. The progress we’ve made is enormous, although there are still some challenges ahead. At a personal level, I make efforts every day to motivate and inspire younger people, so that this experience can help them grow and develop as fully as possible in the company,” he says.

One of the main challenges lying ahead for the project this year is the culmination of the phases to build the pipeline, beginning in April with the first round of hydraulic tests, and continuing with the mechanical completion of the pumping stations, all while maintaining the current high standards of safety and quality.