Peru Copper Project Resumes Operations After Prolonged Hiatus

On Monday, Southern Copper resumed operations at its Tia Maria copper mine project in Peru after a prolonged hiatus due to opposition from local residents. The Mexico-based company had suspended activities since 2019 due to this opposition. With the resumption of efforts, copper production is expected to start before 2027, according to executive president Oscar Gonzalez.

The resumption of the project has been carefully planned, with Southern Copper consulting with government officials to determine 'the most appropriate time to restart operations at Tia Maria'.

Tia Maria, one of Peru's most controversial mining projects, has faced significant community opposition since 2009, resulting in numerous injuries and the tragic deaths of at least six civilians and one police officer. The project's delay has also disrupted a vital source of copper production for Peru, the world's second largest copper producer.

However, protests have tailed off in recent years.

Speaking at a national mining conference last month, Romulo Mucho Mamani, the minister of mining and energy, said that the revival of the project had made 'spectacular progress' this year. He stressed the urgent need to accelerate Peru's stalled mining projects to boost the country's copper output, a critical mineral for the global energy transition.

Mucho Mamani predicted that Peru's copper production would rise from 2.7 million tonnes a year in 2023 to nearly 3 million tonnes a year by the end of 2024.

Reflecting on past delays, Mucho Mamani said: "If the Conga and Tia Maria projects had not been delayed or stopped in 2011, we would be talking about copper production of no less than 4 million tonnes per year, perhaps even more.

The Tia Maria project, with an estimated total investment of $1.4 billion, is expected to produce 120,000 tonnes of copper per year.