Chile: Chamber of the Senate unanimously approved the project that makes the cessation of the Ventanas foundry viable

This is an automated translation of the press release issued in Spanish

Santiago, January 24, 2023.- The plenary session of the Senate unanimously approved this afternoon the bill that makes possible the cessation of the Ventanas smelter. The initiative was approved by 34 votes in favor and one abstention, with which it now returns to the Chamber of Deputies for its third constitutional process.

This, given that an indication from the Executive was approved in the Senate in which definitions were established on the future installation of new smelting capacity in the country, for which its compatibility with the environment and the protection of the health of the people and the environment.

The initiative allows Codelco to process the minerals from small and medium Enami producers in a smelter other than Ventanas, without incurring additional costs, since the Corporation will maintain the purchasing power of those concentrates in the place, where the company will also continue to operate. refinery.

Present in the Senate room were the Minister of Mining, Marcela Hernando, and the Chairman of Codelco's board of directors, Máximo Pacheco , who thanked the Mining and Energy and Finance commissions for their speed and willingness to process the initiative.

"Today we are finishing the second legislative process and we hope that by becoming Law, the project will allow Codelco to close the cycle and deliver the (retirement) benefit to workers who have requested it or relocate those who have decided to stay," he said. Minister Hernando.

In this line, one of the aspects that Pacheco highlighted in his speech was that the cessation of the foundry is carried out guaranteeing a fair transition, in dialogue with the workers and workers and their union representatives. “We are reaching the end of a long road with Ventanas. We are doing it with a fair transition, especially because we are convinced that the world requires Codelco, as the main copper producer, to be an environmentally responsible company”, he highlighted.

Codelco