Chile's Codelco seeks permit for $650 million Andina water project

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile's state copper giant Codelco has applied for an environmental permit for a $650 million project to make water use in its Andina mine more sustainable, the company said on Tuesday.

The plan is to funnel water from the mine's Ovejeria tailings, or mine waste, and other sources to the concentrator plant in its Andina division some 70 kms (43 miles) away for more efficient and sustainable water use, the company said in a statement.

"This allows us to keep reducing our environmental footprint and confront the consequences of climate change," Lindor Quiroga, general manager of Andina, said in Tuesday's statement.

Under increased pressure from global clients seeking sustainable mining and in the face of water scarcity, Codelco has adopted initiatives to be more sustainable.

The Andina project in central Chile, which has faced a decade of drought, will require a maximum of 1,650 workers and take an estimated 36 months to complete.

(Reporting by Fabian Cambero and Alexander Villegas; editing by Barbara Lewis)

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