:: Coldeco Finally Acquires Ventanas Copper Plant

After more than a year of negotiations, Corporacion Nacional del Cobre de Chile (Codelco) this week closed its purchase of the Ventanas copper refinery and smaelter from Empresa Nacional de Mineria (Enami).

According to Codelco's president, Juan Villarzu, the acquisition of Ventanas, which has the capacity to produce 330,000 t/y of copper cathodes, is part of the groups strategy to strengthen the value-added component of its business.

Excluding Ventanas, Codelco operates five mines and two refining and smelting complexes which are expected to produce some 1.8 Mt of refined copper this year.