Existing infrastructure was insufficient to sustain large-scale mining expansion while maintaining social and environmental stability. 5.2 Two Decades Later (2024–2025) The system activated by Pillones transformed these structural constraints into installed capacity and territorial resilience: ● Copper production: ~471 thousand MTF (2023) → More than fivefold increase ● Mining electricity demand: ~450 MW → Approximately tenfold increase ● Direct employment at Cerro Verde: >5,000 workers ● Real regional GDP: +47% (2007–2023) → Representing 5.4% of national GDP ● Regional economically active population: 789,000 people (2024) → +38% since 2005 ● Effective employment: +215,000 additional jobs (+41%) ● Dry-season regulated flow: → +30% increase in water availability → ~12.5 m³/s annual average in the Chili River 5.3 Cumulative Environmental Impact Beyond productive growth, water regulation and agricultural expansion within the Chili River basin (5,000 ha) generated estimated environmental benefits, including: ● Approximate carbon capture of 0.6 MtCO₂e ● Storage of 2.0 Mm³ of water in soils ● Prevention of 0.64 Mt of soil loss ● Estimated generation of 2.0 million MWh of biological energy. Although these figures remain preliminary and subject to future scientific validation, they suggest that the model moves beyond conventional storage toward territorial regeneration. 10
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