Andes Mining Boom Fuels Copper Demand, Threatens Endangered Habitats
A vast mining project in the Andes aims to meet growing demand for copper driven by renewable energy and technology. The Vicuña district, spanning Argentina's San Juan province and Chile's Atacama region, is set to become one of the largest copper finds on Earth.
The proposed $18 billion metallurgical planning district will supply a booming global copper market, with an estimated annual demand reaching 50 million metric tons by 2040. This is almost double this year's consumption of 28 million metric tons and a significant increase from the total of 1900-2022.
Experts worry that even giant projects like Vicuña will be unable to satisfy global copper demand, leading to mining in remote areas with serious environmental and social consequences. The expansion of copper mining has been linked to biodiversity loss, regional water stress, and the potential for human rights abuses.