Sierra Gorda Copper Mine Expands Processing Capacity with Fourth Grinding Line

Chile's Sierra Gorda copper-molybdenum mine is advancing a major concentrator expansion backed by an investment of approximately US$725 million.

The project, supported by joint venture partners KGHM Polska Miedź and South32, will add a fourth grinding line to increase the mine's annual ore processing capacity from approximately 48 million tonnes to 60 million tonnes.

The expansion is expected to increase annual ore processing capacity by approximately 25% and copper production by around 20%.

The new processing line will include a jaw crusher, high-pressure grinding rolls (HPGR), a ball mill, an additional flotation line and supporting process infrastructure.

The project is designed to make better use of the mine's existing water and power infrastructure while improving processing efficiency and reducing unit production costs.

Construction officially entered its launch phase in October 2026. Completion is scheduled for the end of 2029, with full production capacity expected in the second half of 2030.

As copper mining and mineral processing operations expand, reliable ore characterization and laboratory testing remain important for evaluating ore properties and processing performance.

Y&X provides laboratory sample preparation equipment for the mining and mineral processing industry, including jaw crushers, roll crushers, pulverizers, grinding mills and sample dividers. These solutions support representative sample preparation for mineral analysis and metallurgical testing.

KGHM Official Announcement:https://media.kghm.com/en/news-and-press-releases/sierra-gorda-with-a-new-investment-the-kghm-group-is-set-to-increase-its-production-capacity-in-chile?utm_source=chatgpt.com