President Sebastián Piñera announced that the 2021 Budget will have a total expenditure of $73,234 million, which means a growth of 9.5% compared to this year's budget. It also incorporates an increase of 14.9% in public investment. The president said that this year's budget "will be the budget for employment and recovery in order to create jobs, meet the main needs of Chileans, reactivate the economy and put our country in full swing."
Month: September 2020
Johnson & Johnson enter final stage COVID-19 vaccine trial with 60,000 volunteers
Johnson & Johnson has begun final stage testing of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The company will trial the vaccine with 60,000 volunteers from around the world including participants from the US, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, and Chile. Johnson & Johnson's vaccine joins candidates developed by Moderna, Pfizer and BioNTech, AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford in beginning the final stage of development.
ABB completes comissioning & testing at Chuquicamata Copper Mine in Chile
ABB, working with TAKRAF, has completed commissioning and testing for the world's highest-powered gearless conveyor drive system, enabling continuous operations at Chuquicamata copper mine in Chile. Project management and engineering for the full electrical, control and instrumentation scope was led by ABB in Germany, with long spells on site in northern Chile to work side-by-side with TAKRAF to equip the site’s new underground operation with a large conveying system that overcomes an altitude difference of 1,200m and covers a distance of almost 13km.
Tianqi Lithium warns that it may default on credit debt to buy Chilean company SQM
Chinese company Tianqi Lithium Corp said it may not be able to make a payment of $1.88 billion on a loan obtained to buy a stake in Chile's Sociedad Minera y Química de Chile (SQM). The warning comes as lithium prices remain down, just two months before the repayment of the $3.5 billion loan signed with a syndicate of banks led by China Citic Bank. - expires at the end of November. Tianqi admitted that a payment default would affect its daily operations and said its assets and bank accounts could be frozen.
Chilean Collahuasi mine advances in expansion despite pandemic restrictions
The restrictions imposed in Chile due to the pandemic have not impacted the deadlines for the Collahuasi copper mine to advance in obtaining the green light for its productive improvement plan to extend the useful life of the deposit, its chief executive said.
Sky reactivates 100% of domestic flights
Sky airline announced that it will reactivate all of its national routes under the respective health protocols, while trips to Brazil and Peru will be added in October. According to the company, this decision comes after the Health authorities allowed interregional flights from today between those communes that are in phase 3, 4 and 5 of the "Step by step" plan. The airline is currently flying to a total of 12 regions in Chile.
Chile & European Union launch paperless phytosanitary certificates
Chile & the European Union (EU) have launched paperless phytosanitary certifications, streamlining the process of exporting products to one of its biggest agricultural markets. Chile's Agricultural and Livestock Service already operates electronically with Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Sri Lanka and the U.S. This has resulted electronic phytosanitary certification representing around 70% of total annual phytosanitary certification. The sanitary certification systems in Chile and countries in the EU will be connected in September using a paperless system covering all movements of plant based products.
Grenergy connects 103-MW solar park to Chilean Grid
Grenergy Renovables SL has connected its 103-MW Quillagua solar park to the Chilean grid. Located in the middle of the Atacama Desert in Tocopilla province, Quillagua is Grenergy’s largest project to date. The park is equipped with bifacial photovoltaic (PV) modules, which will increase the plant’s production output by up to 15%, Grenergy said.
Rio2 designates process plant construction & civil contractors for the Fenix Gold Project
Rio2 Limited announced that it has taken another key step towards the development of its Fenix Gold Project by selecting the following lead contractors: HLC Ingeniería y Construcción, Anddes Asociados S.A.C and STRACON S.A. Together with Rio2, the companies have executed an early contractor involvement agreement for early works associated with the process plant / site infrastructure, leach pad and project civil design and construction.
Mirasol Resources announces departure of CEO Pitcher to ‘pursue other opportunities’
Mirasol is focused on advancing profitable precious metal and copper deposits, operating via a hybrid joint venture and self-funded drilling model. Its efforts are focused on two highly productive mining regions: the Atacama-Puna region of northern Chile and the Santa Cruz Province in southern Argentina.