Rio Tinto, Panguna stakeholders to address mine legacy impacts at roundtable
The Panguna Mine Legacy Impact Assessment is expected to be published later this month.
Lack of investment and long-term planning in the Peruvian electrical system are threatening to wreck billionaire mining projects, considered key to the economic growth of the country, reports today local newspaper El Comercio.
Together with the uncertain regulations, an excessive reliance on the nascent natural gas industry and the fierce environmental opposition to new transmission lines, the looming energy problem is making of Peru-based mining industry a extremely vulnerable one.
Based on the current energy needs, the second world producer of silver and copper would need to invest at least US$1 billion a year to be able to ensure sufficient power supply for the new mines, planned mainly by private investors.
“The economic development that the country expects to have could really be slowed down by a lack of electricity and, fundamentally, planning,” said former Mines and Energy Minister Carlos Herrera to El Comercio newspaper.
In the next ten years mining companies are expected to spend over US$50 billion in both exploration and production in Peru, but the country could miss out on that investments if it is not prepared to provide miners with basic energetic needs.
Without urgent actions, analysts believe Peru could suffer the same problem that affected South Africa in 2008 and Chile three years later, when different energy crises halted operations making metals prices soar.
“Five years may seem long, but not when it comes to a hydroelectric dam or a pipeline,” Herrera added.
Last year, demand for power rose by nearly 10% while installed capacity only increased by 1%. Current demand stands at 5GW, while effective capacity only offers a small buffer at 6.4GW.
Mines in northern and southern Peru, which mostly lack nearby generation plants and rely on transmission lines, could face a serious nip in a worst-case scenario.
Comments
The Mafia Man
Why don’t we send them some of our lazy republican politicions in exchange for some oil. Then they can be just like us and have a electric GRID that is right out of the 1800’s? Then their shortage of power will fit right in theue it! Oh, hell , we will send em some coal so they can have more polution and energy at the same time just like China.