The arrival of desalinated water at Radomiro Tomic marks a significant milestone for the SADDN Project, which integrates seawater intake, desalination, and more than 160 kilometers of pipelines to supply mining operations in northern Chile.

The Desalinated Water Supply for the Northern District (SADDN) Project has reached a major milestone with the arrival of desalinated water at the new reservoir of the Radomiro Tomic mine. This achievement is part of the project’s construction and commissioning process, enabling the progressive validation of different systems and interfaces across the infrastructure.

Developed under an EPC contract by Techint E&C for Aguas Horizonte, SADDN is one of the largest water infrastructure projects currently under development for the mining industry in Chile. The project integrates seawater intake, desalination, water transportation and distribution into a single system designed to ensure water availability for mining operations in northern Chile.

The arrival of water at the mine represents an important step in the progressive validation of the infrastructure connecting the Pacific Ocean to mining operations located more than 3,000 meters above sea level.

The system includes a desalination plant on the coast of the Antofagasta Region, more than 160 kilometers of pipelines, and three pumping stations that transport water from the Pacific Ocean to high-altitude mining operations.

“The arrival of desalinated water to the Northern District reflects our ability to execute and integrate highly complex systems under particularly demanding conditions. This project involves not only water transportation infrastructure, but also the coordination of multiple strategic subprojects, including offshore works, the desalination plant, and a distribution network designed to supply mining operations in northern Chile,” said Rodrigo Larralde Campos, Deputy Project Director.

As part of the project’s progress, different infrastructure components have undergone hydraulic testing and technical verifications aimed at progressively validating their performance and readiness for future commissioning stages.

Water availability remains one of the key challenges for mining development in northern Chile. In this context, projects such as SADDN enable the incorporation of new water sources through the use of desalinated water, helping reduce pressure on continental water resources.

Once fully operational, the system will have the capacity to produce up to 840 liters per second of desalinated water, with expansion potential reaching 1,956 liters per second, strengthening the operational continuity of mining activities in the Northern District.

“Reaching this stage demonstrates our capability to develop integrated solutions that address the mining industry’s structural challenges, including water security and long-term sustainability,” said Marco Matranga, Project Senior Director.