Chinalco could invest $426 million in Suriname bauxite project
If approved by parliament, Chinalco could begin construction by the middle of next year.
After establishing a strong presence in Canada last year – by launching a new brand and participating at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) conference – the engineers of Chile have now set their ambitious sights on Peru and Colombia.
With more than $425 billion expected to be poured into South American mining projects in the next decade – double what was expected just a couple of years ago – ChileEngineering, which represents the Chilean engineering sector, sees big opportunities for all three countries ahead.
“Chile has become a hub for engineering excellence, and a centre for continuous innovation,” says Elías Arze, president of ChileEngineering, who will be on hand at PDAC 2013.
“Peru and Colombia have their own expertise so we see significant opportunities to work together on engineering and sustainability projects. These joint ventures will not only benefit the three of us, but also Canadian mining, as it’s one of the biggest investors in the region,” he notes.
Chile currently exports about 60 per cent of its engineering services to Peru and about five per cent to Colombia – numbers it expects will rise, and which will no doubt impact Canadian projects in those countries as well.
Arze adds that the Chilean government has declared 2013 the Year of Innovation, and is offering tax incentives to firms wanting to conduct research and development in the country, in all areas, including mining.
Senior ChileEngineering executives will once again attend the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) conference in Toronto from March 3 – 6, 2013.
For more information, visit: http://www.chileeng.com/sitio/.
