785 Figure 3 illustrates the indicative changes in the distribution of direct capital costs by project facility code by decade. It is worth noting that the breakdown of direct costs by project will also depend on whether the project is a green or brown field project. The change in focus on the regulatory requirements for storing of process residue material has increased in the last decade. This has led to a significant impact on the proportion of direct costs associated with residue pumping and storage. A key area where costs are seen to be incurred is in the non process infrastructure required to operate the mine and concentrator when constructed. This includes a desalination plant on the coast with long overland pipelines to projects at elevation. The need for access roads to the mine and operating sites are crucial for post construction operational logistics. A considerable number of projects and operating plants need to have product slurry pipelines to transport the final thickened concentrate down to the coast where the concentrate slurry is filtered and made ready for shipment. 7. FUTURE PROJECT DYNAMICS Projects in the future will continue to become more remote, process larger volumes of lower grade ores and require large amounts of non-process infrastructure such as desalinated water, remote power generation/transmission and slurry pipelines to the coast (depending on its location). A major driver will be the overall capital intensity of these remote projects as owners seek to finance them. The capital intensity topic will be at the forefront of the study phases and as well as the work transitions to execution. There will be a continued focus on leaner designs but still respecting the various local site requirements for designs in seismic locations and environmentally sensitive areas. The industry will continue to seek more fit for purpose equipment specifications as well as looking at low-cost country sourcing for the equipment and bulk materials in general. The importance of this will drive greater levels of effort from the supply chain groups as well as other aspects such as the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) approach. The importance of building off the industry’s successes should not be underestimated, and part of the project development plan should involve quality time set aside for site visits relevant to the particular project under development. The use of smart prefabricated modules that meet road transport envelopes for bulk material deliveries to the remote sites will continue to focus subject to the site location and proximity. In modern concentrator design, there is an equal or greater need for water in remote locations. As an example, in Chile, this means that as part of the overall project, owners have to consider the need for large scale sea water desalination plants for the production of water suitable for use on the project site. Table 16– Recent Projects with desalination plants Project # Location Capacity (L/s) Distance from Desalination plant to Mine site (km) Altitude (m.a.s.l) INCO MLP Choapa, Chile 400 62 3100 Collahuasi C20+10 Tarapacá, Chile 1050 194 Sea Level - 4400 QB 2 Tarapacá, Chile 1157 165 Sea Level - 4400 Escondida EWS Antofagasta, Chile 2500 170 Sea Level - 3100 MLP AD80011 Choapa, Chile 400 62 Sea Level - 3100 10 Project currently in execution 11 Project currently in execution
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