11:36 | Sechura, Aug. 05 (ANDINA).
Peruvian President Alan Garcia traveled to the northern Piura region on Thursday to inaugurate the Bayovar phosphate rock mine in Sechura, an open-pit mine with 238 million tons of phosphate reserves.
Brazilian mining company Vale owns the Bayovar phosphate project located in the Sechura desert in Piura, on the northern coast of Peru.
The mine has an estimated life of 27 years and is expected to produce 3.9 mta of phosphate concentrate with a minimum grade of 29% of phosphorus pentoxide, which is mostly used in fertilisers.
In his 194th trip to a Peruvian region, the head of State was accompanied by Prime Minister Javier Velasquez Quesquen and Energy and Mines Minister Pedro Sanchez.
The Bayovar infrastructure includes a phosphate concentrating plant, a 40km highway for the exit of production, a 5km conveyor in the dock, drying and storage silos, a port with capacity to ship 7.9mta and a seawater desalination plant.
The project required a total investment of US$ 566 million and exports from the mine will mainly be sent to Brazil. The Bayovar phosphate mine started production in mid-July 2010.
(END) NDP/JCP/PSY/EEP
Publicado: 5/8/2010