Anglo American’s Quellaveco mine hits 1Mt copper milestone
Diversified miner Anglo American said on Monday its Quellaveco copper mine in Peru had produced one-million tonnes of copper since start-up.
Construction of the mine began in 2018, with first production achieved in 2022. After a steady ramp-up, Quellaveco reached its nameplate capacity and delivered more than 300 000 t of copper in both 2023 and 2024.
Output in 2025 is forecast at between 310 000 t and 340 000 t, the company said.
Quellaveco uses 100% renewable power and employs autonomous drilling and haulage fleets – the first such deployment in Peru – alongside a remote operations centre and advanced processing technologies.
Anglo said the mine’s performance highlighted the scale of new supply required to meet long-term global copper demand driven by electrification and rising living standards.
The company noted that the mining industry would need to develop the equivalent of 60 Quellaveco-sized mines by 2040 to meet projected consumption.
Anglo is expanding its copper profile by buying Canada’s Teck Resources, which operates four copper mines in the Americas, producing about 446 000 t/y.