The $1.4bn Andina Transfer project turned the underground operation into an open pit mine located 3,500 metres above sea level, which holds 30% of Chile’s copper reserves.

According to Fitch, increased risk of instability between the DRC’s cabinet and parliament could add pressure to the global battery supply chain.

New research by UC Berkeley geochemists shows that copper in soil and seawater acts as a catalyst to turn organic matter into both methyl bromide and methyl chloride, two potent halocarbon compounds that destroy ozone.

The company, which saw 2021 copper production drop by 1.7% to 721,500 tonnes, anticipates churning out 660,000 to 690,000 tonnes this year.