Can you introduce WSP?

JR: WSP is one of the world's leading professional services companies; in mining we have the capabilities to support the industry throughout its value chain. We have a robust offer that includes Mine Engineering & Stability, Mineral Processing, Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG); Mine Closure, Mine Water; Mine Waste and Mine Infrastructure. We have an innovation team that is constantly working on the development of new technologies to offer effective solutions to our clients.

Our work in the mining sector is well balanced between greenfield and brownfield projects, as well as investment and operation projects.

CP: We service the entire mining process value chain, from the planning of the mining operations to mine closure, including mining infrastructure, geology, and geophysics. It is important to mention that we work in engineering and procurement, but not directly in the execution of projects. We currently work for mining companies, such as Codelco in Rajo Inca, but also with EPC companies in the detailed engineering phase.

What are the main demand trends in the Chilean mining sector?

CP: We have had a great development in our geotechnical area, which is related to tailings, piles, and rock stability. We are observing a growing demand in the development of several engineering phases for mining companies, such as pre-feasibility and detailed feasibility, among others. We are trying to further develop our mining infrastructure and plant processing areas, and we already have an important participation in the tailings management market.

JR: Our services within the geotechnical area also involve work related to hydrogeology. Due to our multidisciplinary approach, we have a broad base of clients for pre-feasibility and geological studies, and our goal is to grow in the development of both lithium and copper plants.

What are the main challenges for consulting firms in Chile?

CP: Among the main challenges are the continuous changes in the regulatory apparatus of mining activities related to our services, for example, the current regulations in the GISTM.

The area that has adopted more standards, restrictions, and regulations in the last 20 years is tailings management, both in filtered and conventional tailings. These changes in norms and standards have an impact on engineering work. Specifically, the standards imply greater precision in the basic studies required for tailings management, as well as more multidisciplinary work. Therefore, more resources need to be invested in engineering and design to minimize the risks associated with tailings.

How can WSP help mining companies improve water management?

CP: We work in both surface water and groundwater management. We have a strong group specializing in hydrology and hydrogeology. Chile has developed very advanced methods for water optimization based on the experience of the country in copper processing.

The country is rapidly moving to the replacement of inland water with seawater, and WSP is an important part of this transition. We offer a wide range of services for water desalination, from development, engineering, water pipelines, and processing plants, to analysis of the trade-off between saltwater and inland water. In addition, we have a consultancy for ESG issues related to the environment.

JR: Within WSP, our mining team in Chile is the largest in the world, as mining is the most important activity for the firm in the country. We have around 500 people working in our mining division, 180 more in the water division, and around 150 people in the environmental area.

How are the green hydrogen and lithium markets evolving in Chile?

JR: We are currently working on the first phase of two green hydrogen projects. We believe that this segment will develop over the next few years and, consequently, demand will start to grow as production does. We anticipate growing demand in both the copper and lithium markets, so our goal is to remain highly competitive in the green hydrogen segment.

CP: We are also working with two customers in the lithium segment. Our main competitive advantage in this respect is that we can easily extract lithium chloride from concentrated brine, the predominant type of lithium extraction in Latin America.