SANTIAGO, March 21 (Reuters) - Chilean miner Antofagasta

Minerals on Thursday inaugurated a more than $2 billion

desalination plant for its flagship copper mine in Chile, Los

Pelambres, aimed at relieving the effects of severe drought that

has hit production.

The mine is the first to operate with desalinated water in

an area of the country that has suffered a 15-year drought,

sucking water from reservoirs and sparking concern over the

fresh water supply.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric praised the project, saying

the situation in the Coquimbo region, where Los Pelambres is

located, is concerning.

"Especially with the climate change crisis, we must be not

only a mining country, but also a country at the cutting edge of

responsible, sustainable mining," he said at the inauguration

for the plant, which is at coast in Los Vilos, a city within

Coquimbo.

Antofagasta ( ANFGF ) began construction in 2019 for the plant, and

plans to pump 400 liters of water per second for use at Los

Pelambres, located about 55 km inland.

The company plans to supply another 400 liters of water per

second in a second phase slated for completion in 2027, which it

says would relieve pressure on the nearby Choapa river.

Chile's historic drought has impacted nearly ever aspect of

life in the nation that is the world's top copper producer.

Mining companies outside Coquimbo are already using seawater,

particularly in Antofagasta ( ANFGF ), a northern desert region home to

most of Chile's mining activity.