SANTIAGO, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Chile plans to invest about
$83.18 billion from this year through 2033, state-run agency
Cochilco said in a study cited in a newspaper report on Tuesday,
an increase of 27% from last year's estimate.
WHY IT MATTERS
Set to be presented on Wednesday, the Cochilco report will
list some 51 projects in the South American nation, which is the
world's largest producer of copper and second-largest of
lithium, a key ingredient of rechargeable batteries.
Chilean newspaper Diario Financiero said Cochilco's report
did not include a recently announced $14-billion expansion plan
by mining giant BHP, whose Chilean projects include
Escondida, the world's largest copper mine.
With this, it said the total investment plan could amount to
nearly $100 billion.
BY THE NUMBERS
The paper said the spending hike was driven by 11 new
projects amounting to about $15.66 billion, including the
expansion of Freeport-McMoRan ( FCX ) projects, works in Los
Bronces by Anglo American, and planned improvements at
state-owned miner Codelco at Chuqui Subterranea, as
well as a Codelco lithium project at the Maricunga salt flat.
About 52% of spending totaling $42.96 billion is pegged for
projects planned between 2024 and 2026, the paper added.