Chile’s iron and steel producer CAP announced at the beginning of October 2009 that it will spend US$ 140 million to build a seawater desalination plant in Punta Totoralillo.
Plans will be submitted to the national environmental authority Conama within 60 days.
The plant will supply water for the firm’s Cerro Negro Norte iron ore project, which was approved by the region’s environmental authority, Corema, on 7 October 2009. It was made a requirement for the project after the authorities reviewed the environmental impact statement.