Bechtel to build seawater desalination plant in Chile

US-based construction and engineering company Bechtel has been awarded a contract by BHP Billiton to build a complex water system for a copper mine in Chile.

Bechtel will provide engineering, project management, and construction services for a system that will bring a sustainable water supply to the Escondida copper mine in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile.

The project includes construction of a seawater desalination plant at the Caleta Coloso port and the piping and electrical infrastructure, two 42in-diameter pipelines, needed to transport water to the mine that lies 185km away from the port and 10,170ft above sea level.

Related infrastructure includes four high-pressure pumping stations, associated electrical substations, and 114km of high-voltage transmission lines along the pipeline route. The company also will provide construction management services for the marine works associated with the project.

Minera Escondida operates the mine, in which BHP Billiton owns a majority stake.

Bechtel Americas mining and metals business general manager Jose Ivo said that as well as the Atacama being the world’s driest hot desert, the project is quite complex given the distance between the port and the mine, combined with the mine’s remote location and high altitude.

"We will draw on our extensive engineering, pipeline, and power experience as well as our knowledge of local geographic conditions to work with Minera Escondida to safely deliver a world-class water system," Ivo added.

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Image: Bechtel to design and build complex water system for Desert Copper Mine in Chile. Photo: courtesy of Bechtel Corporation.