The Provincial Senate of Mendoza, in Argentina, has approved the Rio Colorado potassium project, of the Vale group, which still depends on the approval of its Board of Directors. This was the last stage in the process of approval by the Provincial Government.
This legislative approval allows Vale, which shall explore potassium salts to the south of Malargue, to hire companies and employees from Mendoza, the Senate explained in a statement.
The Rio Colorado project includes the development of a mine with a starting nominal capacity of 2.4 million tonnes of potassium per year, with a possibility of expansion to 4.35 Mtpa. There are also plans for the construction of a railway branch line of 350 kilometers, and also port and thermoelectrical installations.
The planned date for start-up is the second half of 2013, according to data released by Vale.
According to the Senate of Mendoza, the expectation is to generate more than two thousand jobs during the work itself, and when the mine is in operation a further 500 employment positions would be created.
This project is part of Vale’s strategy to become one of the world leaders in the production of fertilizers. In July, the Brazilian mining company started production in its phosphate mine in the North of Peru, known as Bayóvar, which, after expansion, shall have a capacity of 7.9 million tonnes of this product as from 2015.
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