Cemento Polpaico has submitted an environmental impact study (EIS) for the Cerro Blanco complex development to Chile’s Regional Directorate of the Environmental Assessment Service of the Metropolitan Region.

The US$60m project plans the expansion of the mining exploitation of four existing limestone quarries. This would increase the exploitation areas and extend limestone extraction by 27 years, enabling the operational continuity of the Cerro Blanco Complex.

The EIS includes several modifications to the existing operation, including the operation of a tailings unit that includes a thickening and filtering plant and the filtered tailings deposit. In addition, a calciner and minor interventions to the preheater tower as well as an increase in bulk cement storage capacity through the construction of a new silo.