By Charles Pitts
SANTIAGO : Lundin Mining Corp.’s Caserones copper mine in northern Chile remains offline following a severe winter storm on July 18 that severely damaged two high-voltage transmission towers supplying the site. Primary mining and processing operations continue to be suspended in the Atacama Region as technical teams assess the structural damage and manage recovery logistics in high-altitude terrain.
With grid power severed, emergency backup generators have been deployed across the operation to maintain critical life-safety systems, ventilation, and essential site infrastructure. The company confirmed that all personnel on-site are accounted for and safe, while restricted access routes have temporarily slowed ground-based repair efforts.
Specialized crews expect physical repairs to the damaged powerline towers to take between 10 and 12 days, weather permitting, with a full operational restart anticipated within two to three weeks. Despite the projected outage duration and temporary disruption to output, Lundin Mining has maintained its full-year 2026 production guidance for the Caserones facility.
The Caserones mine, situated in the Copiapó Valley at elevations exceeding 3,900 meters, represents a core production asset in Lundin’s Latin American portfolio. Management indicated that production catch-up efforts scheduled for later in the year are expected to offset the temporary shutdown, keeping annual output targets intact.
