stated that the northern mining corridor (Cajamarca, Piura, La Libertad, and Lambayeque regions) could reach a production of 6 million tons of copper per year.
"Only in the northern territorial development corridor could up to 6 million tons of copper concentrates be produced annually," Montero noted on Thursday.
"That production would enter a metallurgical plant that would need to be large enough to process 6 million tons of copper concentrates in a year and transform them into finished copper products for end customers," he added.
At the 37th Perumin Mining Convention, the government official indicated that this copper production level could become a reality in the next 8 to 10 years.
"These 6 million tons of copper should be achieved in the next 8 to 10 years, when we would already have this production underway in the northern mining corridor," Montero underscored.
The Cabinet member emphasized that achieving this goal requires unblocking copper projects and promoting exploration.
"We have identified strategies that the Ministry of Energy and Mines can activate to make exploration in Peru more conducive, not only for companies but also for communities in the territories," Montero explained.
"In the north of the country, there are projects to explore and develop, such as Cañariaco in Lambayeque; La Granja, Michiquillay, Galeno, Yanacocha Sulfuros, and other significant deposits in Cajamarca; Río Blanco in Piura; among others," he specified.
The minister reported that he held several meetings with representatives from companies including Newmont, Yanacocha, Las Bambas, Chinalco, Zijin, and Rio Tinto.
"We also met with eight officials from the German Federal Government, which is highly interested in the industrialization of copper in Peru," he mentioned.