The energy transition and the fight against climate change have imposed new standards on the global mining industry. Chile, as a global mining powerhouse, holds a leading position in the production of strategic minerals such as copper and lithium—both essential for enabling this transformation. In this context, Multotec Chile—which serves the entire South American region—has adjusted its business plan and value proposition to anticipate the challenges and opportunities outlined in the National Mining Policy 2050 (Ministry of Mining, NMP 2050, Government of Chile, 2021) and the National Lithium Strategy (Ministry of Mining, NLS, Government of Chile, 2023).

Responding with Innovation to a More Complex and Demanding Mining Industry

The NMP 2050 sets out a vision for sustainable mining, focused on water and energy efficiency, circular economy practices, and territorial integration, with strategic objectives around competitiveness, innovation, and climate resilience. Meanwhile, the National Lithium Strategy positions lithium as key to global decarbonization and promotes a development model that integrates technology, citizen participation, and regional sustainability.

Aware of this new paradigm, Multotec has strengthened its technological and collaborative innovation capacity by incorporating world-class solutions that enable more efficient, cleaner, and profitable production.

Strategic Alliances: World-Class Technology for Mineral Processing

One of the most relevant recent milestones is the signing of a Commercial Agreement with Hewitt Robins (UK), a global leader in the design and manufacture of vibrating screens. Thanks to this partnership, Multotec is offering the regional market high-performance vibrating screens that can be retrofitted to existing infrastructures, with a value proposition focused on operational efficiency, long service life, and low total cost of ownership—alongside permanent on-site technical assistance. This technology is crucial for concentrator plants where robust and accurate material classification is required in increasingly complex conditions—an area where our rubber and polyurethane panels have proven effective for over 50 years. This alliance primarily benefits our customers and the wider industry by integrating disciplines across capital equipment, operations, and processing, as well as maintenance and reliability—areas we can now support in a multidisciplinary manner.

Additionally, and with a primary focus on optimizing and delivering specialized on-site support for the lithium industry’s challenges, Multotec Chile has signed a Cooperation Agreement with Siebtechnik (Germany) involving centrifugal machines. In nearly all cases, continuous-operation centrifuges are the best technical and economic solution. They also dewater large amounts of solids to low final moisture levels, in a small footprint, with low energy consumption and quick turnaround—perfectly aligning with the pillars of both the copper and lithium strategies. However, these machines also have strong applications in the pulp and paper, pharmaceutical, food, fertilizer, recycling, and organic compost industries. This agreement enhances our offering of high-efficiency equipment along with field support, lab-based machine testing, spares, and local commercial assistance.

Smart Pre-Concentration with DMS Cyclones

Aligned with energy efficiency goals and operating cost reduction, Multotec Chile has successfully implemented not only classification cyclones but also Dense Medium Separation (DMS) cyclones, which stand out for their use in pre-concentration processes for copper, lithium, iron, and other minerals with high differential densities. Their testing, implementation, and exceptional success—enable early-stage separation of valuable minerals, reducing milling loads, reagent use, and water consumption.

Additionally, dewatering and classification cyclones support Hydraulic Dewatered Stacking (HDS) operations, directly contributing to water recovery and safe tailings management—key elements of the “Green Mining” axis within NMP 2050.

Representative Sampling: The Foundation of Reliable Production

Another key component of our renewed technology offering is metallurgical samplers, essential for strict quality control and data-driven decision-making. Whether in pulp or dry sample applications, Multotec equipment—certified under ISO and CNAM standards—ensures precision, traceability, and representativeness, which are critical for an industry aiming to deliver high-purity, efficient, and traceable materials.

This not only strengthens the competitiveness and reputation of Chilean products in international markets, but also contributes to transparency, profitability, and resource optimization—all strategic pillars of sustainable mining development towards 2050.

Looking to the Future: Purpose-Driven Mining

The mining industry that will lead the 21st century won’t be the one that extracts the most, but the one that does it best: cleaner, more efficient, more connected to its regions, and offering a technology-integrated value proposition. At Multotec Chile, we embrace this challenge with energy and conviction.

Global demand for copper and lithium is on the rise, along with the opportunity for South America to become a strategic hub for responsible production. From our pre-concentration, classification, and sampling solutions to new international partnerships, we are working to deliver high-impact technologies that enhance the value of natural resources and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy.

We firmly believe that sustainable, modern, and profitable mining is possible. And at Multotec, we’re ready to make it happen.