CODELCO RADOMIRO TOMIC SULFIDE MINING PHASE II – SEAWATER DESALINATION PLANT

On January 14, 2015, the company INIMA-CVV S.A. was awarded the EPC Marine Works and Desalination Plant contract, for the detailed engineering, supply of equipment and materials, construction and commissioning of a seawater desalination plant, tendered by Codelco, in the sector of km 14 of Route 1 from Tocopilla.

The objective of the state-owned company was to supply RT-Codelco’s industrial water reservoir, to provide water for its current operations and for its sixth structural project: RT Sulphide’s.

The project developed by PA Engineering considered the design of a desalination plant from the seawater intake to the product water, ready for impulsion. The detailed engineering necessary for the final design and detailed planning of the acquisitions, construction and commissioning of the desalination plant and its maritime seawater catchment and brine discharge works was developed. The maritime works were designed to support at least a future production of desalinated water of 163,350 m3/day, equivalent to 1,890 l/s. In turn, the plant would have the particularity of producing water in steps reaching up to 840 l/s, reaching a production of 2,177,280 m3/month.