El Teniente. So called the world's largest copper mine and it is located in Chile, 80 kilometres south of the capital Santiago. The mine is now being built to extend its lifespan for a further 50 years.
The copper mine, which is more than 100 years old, has a tunnel system that is longer than Chile from north to south. 4500 kilometres. By comparison, Sweden is 1572 kilometres long. Here in the middle of the Andes, at 2200 meters above sea level, an underground city has emerged. With hospitals, warehouses, machinery, state-of-the-art offices and dining rooms. About 10,000 people still work in the highly automated mine.
El Teniente is owned by Chilean mining company Codelco, the largest copper producer in the world. The expansion project is called NNM and aims to continue drilling the tunnels of the mountain to a depth of 400 meters. The $ 3.9 billion investment will ensure that today's production level of 450,000 tonnes of copper per year is maintained, from 2023 and 50 years ahead. The expansion project has now come about halfway.
Source: AFP
