Under the contract, the company will be responsible for the seawater intake and the production of desalinated water at the plant for a period of three years.
Veolia will employ reverse osmosis to desalinate the water at the plant, which supplies the mine with industrial process water.
Starting in 2016, the industrial process water production capacity at the plant is anticipated to increase from the current 48 liters of water a second to 60 liters of desalinated water a second.
The increase in the plant’s production capacity will be a result of a 20% improvement in the plant’s performance from its current level.
Veolia Latin America Zone director Ramon Rebuelta said: "Seawater desalination for process water is a rapidly expanding activity in areas of Latin America suffering from water stress.
"By choosing Veolia, Milpo has confirmed that the company’s solutions and expertise, especially in the area of water production for the mining industry, are crucial to ensuring high quality, environmentally friendly operations."
In 2007, Cerro Lindo became the first mining site in Peru to stop using river water for its mining operations.
CompañÃa Minera Milpo is involved in the exploration, mining and sale of zinc, copper, lead, silver and gold. It operates three mines in Peru and one in Chile.
Image: Veolia will employ reverse osmosis to desalinate the water at the plant. Photo: courtesy of Veolia.
