Las Bambas Copper Mine in Peru to close production by mid-December

Foreign news on December 3, due to the road blockade, Peru's Las Bambas copper mine will be closed in mid-December production. Company executives urged the government to build a freight railway to avoid future disruptions.

"Freight railways have gained strong social recognition," said Carlos Castro, director of Las Bambas affairs.

Las Bambas is one of Peru's largest copper mines, but executives say its operations have been suspended for nearly 400 days since it began operating in 2016.

The focus of the debate is a dirt road used by Las Bambas to transport copper from the mine to a seaport. Communities along the road oppose this mode of transportation, claiming that it has an impact on the environment and society. The last time Las Bambas faced the threat of a shutdown was in October.

Executives say the dirt road cannot last into the future, the government has a responsibility to lay it in the medium term, and in the long run, a separate freight train line will be the best solution.

The government led by Pedro Castillo, a Peruvian socialist, has approved the railway, but the government's cost is estimated to be as high as $9.2 billion and will not be operational until 2028 at the earliest.

In July, Las Bambas said it expected production in 2021 to be at the low end of its forecast of 31-330000 tons.

Las Bambas produces 400000 tonnes of copper a year, accounting for about 2 per cent of global copper production.