Altonorte is a custom copper smelting operation located near Antofagasta in northern Chile, one of the highest growth areas for copper mine development in the world. It is one of the largest copper smelters in the world.

Operations
Altonorte is one of the most modern smelters in the world. As a result of a $170 million expansion in 2003, the smelter has the capacity to process 820,000 tonnes of copper concentrate per year, yielding 290,000 tonnes of anode copper and 700,000 tonnes of sulphuric acid annually.

In addition to increasing production capacity, the 2003 expansion significantly improved the smelter's overall environmental performance.

2004 Production Rates
266,440 tonnes anode copper

Flowsheets
Smelter (PPT – 54 KB)

Employees
The facility employs approximately 500 people.

History
The Altonorte smelter was built in 1993 and acquired 100% in 1998. It was formerly known as Refimet.