Los Chancas - Apurimac: This greenfield project, located in Apurimac, Peru, is a copper and molybdenum porphyry deposit. Current estimates of indicated copper mineral resources are 98 million tons of oxides with a copper content of 0.45% and 52 million tons of sulfides with a copper content of 0.59%. The Los Chancas project envisions an open-pit mine with a combined operation of concentrator and SX-EW processes to produce 130,000 tons of copper and 7,500 tons of molybdenum annually. The estimated capital investment is $2,600 million and the project is expected to begin operating in 2031. We continue to engage in social and environmental improvements for the local communities and work on the project’s environmental impact assessment.
Project update: The Company continues to engage in coordinated efforts with the Peruvian authorities to eradicate illegal mining activity. Once this process is completed, we will resume the environmental impact assessment and initiate hydrogeological as well as geotechnical studies. We also will conduct a diamond drilling campaign for 40,000 meters to gather additional information on the characteristics of the Los Chancas deposit.
Michiquillay Project - Cajamarca: In June 2018, Southern Copper signed a contract for the acquisition of the Michiquillay project in Cajamarca, Peru. Michiquillay is a world class mining project with inferred mineral resources of 2,288 million tons with an estimated copper grade of 0.43%. When developed, we expect Michiquillay to produce 225,000 tons of copper per year (along with by-products of molybdenum, gold and silver) at a competitive cash-cost for an initial mine life of more than 25 years. We estimate an investment of approximately $2.5 billion will be required and expect production start-up by 2032. Michiquillay will become one of Peru´s largest copper mines and will create significant business opportunities in the Cajamarca region; generate new jobs for the local communities; and contribute with taxes and royalties to the local, regional and national governments.
Project update: As of March 31, 2024, we had drilled 80,000 meters (total program = 110,000 meters) and obtained 27,902 core samples for chemical analysis. Diamond drilling is underway, which will provide data for cross section interpretation, geological modeling and resource evaluation. We expect to begin hydrogeological and geotechnical studies soon, and will also assess the results of metallurgical testing at the deposit.
The Company continues to work with the Michiquillay and La Encañada communities based on the guidelines of corresponding social agreements.
Environmental, Social & Corporate Governance (ESG) Practices
Performance on ESG assessments conducted by rating agencies. For the third consecutive year, we were included in S&P Global's Sustainability Yearbook. This means that thanks to our performance in this agency’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment evaluation, we are ranked among the top 15% of the best-rated companies in sustainability in mining and metals. Regarding the ESG Risk Ratings Report evaluation by Sustainalytics, SCC reduced its risk level by improving its score within the medium risk category from 27.5 in 2023 to 23.4 in 2024.
Climate action. In the first quarter of 2024, we received clean energy certificates from one of our electricity suppliers in Peru. With this, all the electrical energy we consumed in Peru in 2023 came from renewable sources. Measurements indicate that consumption of renewable electrical energy at SCC increased from 23% to 36% in 2023, which means we have already hit our 2027 target to ensure that 25% of our electricity supply is derived from renewable sources. Over the same period, greenhouse gas emissions dropped 7.5% in 2023 compared to 2022.
Climate Governance. Recently, a briefing from Chapter Zero, home of the Climate Governance Initiative, was held for the directors and management of Southern Copper Corporation to inform them about the risks and opportunities associated with climate change. This initiative, developed in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, aims to support non-executive directors and chairs in integrating climate action into their business strategy.
Exceptional Company. For the second consecutive year, we received the “Exceptional Company” award in Mexico, presented by the Business Coordinating Council, the Communication Council, and the Institute for the Promotion of