Ilo copper smelter and refinery

 metallurgy, production, smelter

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Operated by Southern Copper Company, the Ilo smelter and refinery complex processes up to 1.2 million tons of copper concentrates from the company's mines at Toquepala and Cuajone. The concentrates are smelted using an ISASMELT furnace, converters and anode furnaces to produce copper anodes of 99.7% purity.

The refiner consists of an electrolytic plant and a precious metals plant. It produces 280,000 tons per year of 99.998% pure copper cathode. The precious metals plant recovers slimes from the refinery to produce gold, silver, platinum metals and selenium powder

Sulphur dioxide gases released by the smelting processes are converted to sulphuric acid.

Other facilities in Ilo are a coquina plant and a lime plant, which together produce lime from seashells. The company also operates an industrial railway to haul concentrates and supplies between Tuquepala, Coajone and Ilo.