Copper is increasingly hot property. Electric vehicles require at least twice as much copper as traditional cars; solar and wind energy projects require between four and six times more than fossil fuel-based systems. Copper is fundamental to the global energy transition and, given that it produces more copper than any other country, Chile is a key player.

From 2023 to 2024 alone, Chile’s exports of the mineral to China, its largest market, grew by more than 19%.

Mining activity is concentrated in the northern region of Antofagasta, where copper is the driving force behind the economy and prosperity of its nearly 700,000 residents. Copper mining is known as “Chile’s salary” while Codelco, the state mining company and world’s largest copper producer, has been accused in the Chilean senate of being a “state within the state”.

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