BHP said Chile’s Antofagasta Environmental Assessment Commission approved the first major environmental permit for the Escondida expansion, enabling the roughly $14.7bn project to move forward. The permit covers early-stage sulfide leaching and power upgrades costing about $1.3bn; further major upgrades to the mine and processing facilities remain subject to later approvals. Escondida is the world’s largest copper mine; BHP holds 57.5%, Rio Tinto 30% and the remainder is held by a Japanese conso

BHP said Chile’s Antofagasta Environmental Assessment Commission approved the first major environmental permit for the Escondida expansion, enabling the roughly $14.7bn project to move forward. The permit covers early-stage sulfide leaching and power upgrades costing about $1.3bn; further major upgrades to the mine and processing facilities remain subject to later approvals. Escondida is the world’s largest copper mine; BHP holds 57.5%, Rio Tinto 30% and the remainder is held by a Japanese consortium. BHP aims to double annual copper production to over 2.0mt by the mid-2030s, a target heavily dependent on its Chile operations. The company expects to invest $10.7–14.7bn in Chile over coming years and has applied for permits for a $1.5bn restart of Cerro Colorado and a $5.9bn new concentrator.