New mining projects in Andalusia: investments of2.2 billion in Seville, Cordoba, Huelva, and Granada..

New manna from heaven

This is how the investments that mining companies plan to make in Andalusia are perceived, with projects that will bring more than 2.2 billion euros to society and create 2,961 direct and 5,840 indirect jobs. These are million-euro investments, many of which are directed towards the Faja Pirítica, one of the most important mining regions in the world.

Investments in Andalusia

Among these investments, we can mention Atalaya Mining in Huelva, with several projects totaling over 600 million euros; Cobre las Cruces (500 million) and Minera los Frailes/Aznalcóllar (450 million) in Seville; Sandfire Matsa (400 million) in Huelva; Minas de Alquife (50 million) in Granada; or Minas de Estaño de España (85 million) in Córdoba.

Projects in development

In addition, there are other projects in development, such as Tharsis Mining and Pan Global Resources, which are conducting research in the Pyrite Belt; Kerogen Energy and Insersa, which have started studies to explore the possibility of opening a lead mine in Linares (Jaén); Minera Águilas, investigating the potential for copper or zinc extraction in Pedroches in Córdoba; as well as the mining company Denarius Silver, which is owned by Gran Colombia Gold and King Street Capital, advancing its Lomero-Poyatos project in Huelva for the extraction of gold and copper in the Pyrite Belt.

Atalaya Mining

Atalaya Mining plans to develop new deposits to extend the lifespan of its mine. The company's new investments will exceed 600 million euros, of which 174 million will be allocated for the development of the Masa Valverde deposit. The company has already received permission to explore this deposit, and now the Junta de Andalucía has just approved the permit for its development. The project is expected to create 71 jobs during construction and 157 direct jobs and 400 indirect jobs after launch. Atalaya is also working on defining the technical mining project for the expansion of Cerro Colorado in the San Dionisio deposit, in Rio Tinto (Huelva). The company is expected to submit technical projects and request a permit to amend the Unified Environmental Permit for the Riotinto project (PRT) and approval of a new mining project by mid-2024. The investments are estimated to be 410 million euros, and construction will create 483 jobs. After the project is launched, 1,110 direct jobs and 2,560 indirect jobs will be created. Atalaya and Lain Technologies are also building a hydrometallurgical plant at the mine to produce copper and zinc cathodes from the extracted ore. This project costs 12 million euros and creates 100 jobs. The launch of the plant will lead to the creation of 60 direct jobs and 100 indirect jobs. Additionally, the company will allocate 10 million euros for the rerouting of the A461 road in the town of Rio Tinto, the construction of which will begin soon. This construction will create 40 jobs and is necessary for the start of the San Dionisio development.

Project for the restoration of the Asnalcoja mine

The project to restore the Asnalcoya mine in Seville, which has been closed since 1998, will exceed 450 million euros, 100 million more than originally planned due to changes in water management. The industrial operator is the company Minera Los Frailes, 97.3% of which is owned by the Grupo México group, while 2.7% belongs to the Cordoba-based company Magtel. In 2015, the company won an international mining competition announced by the Junta de Andalucía for the development of polymetallic sulfide reserves of 50 million tons, including copper, zinc, and lead, with a lifespan of at least 17 years. The industrial project includes the restoration of the ecological environment in the area, which was devastated by a mining dam breach in 1989 when the Swedish company Boliden Apirsa was operating at the Seville site. Grupo México has already spent 52 million on various works (asset management, research, project development, and obtaining permits). The company will create more than 1,200 direct jobs through highly qualified suppliers, as well as another 800 indirect jobs. The project timeline includes three years for construction, water treatment from the Los Frailes mine, and discharge into the Guadalquivir River; 17 years of operation and production; and five years for dismantling and restoration. Originally, it was planned to discharge treated water into the Guadiamar River, but as a result of changes proposed by the Guadalquivir Hydrographic Confederation, it will now be discharged into the Guadalquivir River. A treatment plant will be built for this purpose, which will become one of the most modern in the industry. Lantania, ACS, and FCC are competing for the contract to build the treatment plant. This project has proven to be long and complex, as there has been a lawsuit from Emérita Resources, a competitor in the bidding process, which is still ongoing, with a court date set for 2025. Recently, the Audit Court ruled against suspending work, as requested by Ecologistas en Acción. Additionally, it should be noted that the project is also awaiting an environmental review, which began in June 2017.

Cobre Las Cruces (CLC) project

The new Cobre Las Cruces (CLC) project will develop a new underground mine and a polymetallurgical plant for the production of copper, zinc, lead, and silver. The total investment will exceed 500 million euros, with additional investments for the development of renewable energy sources using solar and biomass. It is expected to create 900 direct jobs (including CLC contractors) and 1,500 indirect and induced jobs. Currently, the project already has the main permits from the Junta de Andalucía (AAU, AAI, mining concession) and the government and the Hydrographic Confederation of the Guadalquivir (water concession). After obtaining the permits, the mine will be able to start preliminary project work with estimated costs of 16.5 million, which will take place in 2023 and part of 2024. This includes the development of the new polymetallurgical plant project (new zinc, lead, and silver lines), the expansion of treatment facilities, and the preparation of access to the future underground mine. After that, a construction permit will be requested, the date of which is still unknown. Building the polymetallurgical plant will take one to two years, while developing the underground mine to extract ore from the new deposit will take four years. According to CLC, which is owned by the Canadian company First Quantum Minerals, ore extraction may begin in the fifth year after construction starts. However, CLC forecasts the possibility of starting production as early as the third year, without waiting for the mine to be completed. How will this be achieved? "We have some stockpiled polymetallic ore that has been mined in recent years and is being stored. In other words, we can start producing copper, zinc, lead, and silver at the new plant as soon as it is ready. And when we reach the new deposit, the plant will be supplied with freshly mined ore," the company says.

Matsa Project

Another mining project that is actively developing with the support of the Junta de Andalucía is the expansion and modernization project of the Matsa mine owned by Sandfire Matsa. The company has a processing plant located in the northern part of the Iberian Pyrite Belt, which receives ore from three underground mines: Aguas Tenidas and Magdalena in Almonaster-la-Real, and Sotiel in Cañaveral. The company produces concentrates of copper, zinc, and lead, which are exported through the ports of Huelva. It is expected that the company will invest 400 million euros, and as part of this project, 140 people will be hired. After the launch of the mine expansion project, 170 direct jobs and 350 indirect jobs will be created. As part of this project, the company has combined several initiatives aimed at expanding and modernizing its mining operations in the province of Huelva, which are at different stages of development. Some of these projects are much larger in scale and impact than others, but all contribute to the expansion of metal ore mining activities, primarily copper and zinc, increasing reserves and resources, improving their utilization in the processing stage, and making them more sustainable in terms of environmental impact.