With USD 138 billion in projected investments across Argentina, Chile and Peru, the next wave of mining projects faces a new bottleneck: the ability to execute them efficiently. In this scenario, engineering decisions made at the outset can determine the success of an operation for decades.

Global demand for copper continues to grow, driven by the energy transition, electrification and the development of artificial intelligence-based technologies. As a result, the so-called “copper triangle,” made up of Argentina, Chile and Peru, is home to an unprecedented pipeline of investments for the coming years.

However, the main challenge is no longer limited to developing new projects or securing financing. The question mining companies are asking today is: how can dozens of projects be executed simultaneously without compromising costs, schedules or productivity?

When multiple projects move forward at the same time, they begin competing for the same resources: specialized companies, skilled professionals, critical equipment and logistics capacity.

In Chile, where a large share of investments involves expansions of existing mines, the focus is on managing this execution capacity. In Argentina, the challenge is even greater, as many projects are starting from scratch, in remote areas with limited infrastructure, while also competing for talent and suppliers with developments such as Vaca Muerta.

Another factor must also be taken into account. Ore deposits have lower copper grades than they did decades ago. This means that larger volumes of material must be moved and processed to achieve the same output, making the efficiency of the transportation system increasingly important.

This need becomes even more relevant as the industry’s technical challenges increase. As Ignacio Fernández, Managing Director Chile & Peru at TAKRAF, another Techint Group company, explains: “Mining conditions are becoming increasingly complex as ore grades decline and reserves are located at greater depths. This requires integrated, efficient and sustainable solutions to continue producing effectively.”

Experience in large-scale projects shows that much of a mine’s future performance is determined during the early engineering stages.

Factors such as the route that the mineral transportation system will follow, the selection of the most energy-efficient technologies, or the early planning of complex-to-manufacture equipment can have a direct impact on capital costs, execution timelines and operational efficiency throughout the project’s entire lifecycle.

For this reason, an increasing number of projects are incorporating the experience of engineers, construction professionals, operators and equipment manufacturers from the outset, with the aim of anticipating risks and optimizing the design before construction begins.

This approach is part of Techint E&C’s experience in some of the world’s most significant mining and industrial projects. Examples include S11D Ferro-Carajás in Brazil, where the company developed one of the world’s largest mineral transportation systems; the Petacalco coal import terminal in Mexico; the Ruwais SHT2 sulfur handling and export terminal in the United Arab Emirates; and the feasibility study for the Antamina W1 Mineral project in Peru. Despite the particularities of each project, they all confirm that decisions made during the early engineering stages have a decisive impact on project performance throughout its entire lifecycle.

In mining, the cost of a decision does not end when construction is completed.

A well-designed transportation system can optimize the initial investment and significantly reduce operating costs for decades. By contrast, correcting a design once operations are underway often involves higher costs and lower levels of efficiency.

With a new wave of investments underway across Latin America, the difference between a successful project and one affected by cost overruns may be determined long before the first piece of equipment reaches the site.

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