STRABAG said that its subsidiary ZÜBLIN has won two contracts from Codelco for the development of the Chuquicamata Underground Mine “Mina Norte” in Chile.
The contracts have a combined value of approximately €800m ($944m). They are part of ongoing efforts to convert Chuquicamata from an open-pit operation into an underground mine.
Scheduled for completion in 2031, the underground mining project represents one of STRABAG’s largest undertakings in Chilean mining to date.
The scope of work includes constructing more than 54km of tunnels and related infrastructure to support extended operations at the site. Around 1,200 workers will participate during the construction period.
According to STRABAG, this new phase aims to sustain production and operational continuity at Chuquicamata for several decades.
STRABAG has operated continuously in Chile for nearly four decades, with project experience that covers major mines such as El Teniente and Candelaria, in addition to Chuquicamata.
Over this period, the company’s activities have involved building more than 380km of tunnels and transporting large volumes of excavation material, adding up to over €6bn in completed projects throughout Chile’s principal mining regions.
STRABAG executive board member Siegfried Wanker said: “ZÜBLIN has been successfully active in Chile for nearly four decades, delivering major mining and tunnelling projects as well as energy infrastructure. Mina Norte will further strengthen our role as a trusted partner in large-scale mining and enhance our presence in markets outside Europe.”
ZÜBLIN has previously delivered complex tunnelling projects under contracts like Chuquicamata Subterránea between 2016 and 2024, where tunnel advances reached up to 1,900m per month.
Recently, STRABAG Sp. z o.o., the Polish subsidiary of STRABAG, obtained two contracts totalling approximately €147m for road modernisation works in Poland.
The company will carry out major renovation of the DK25 national road, connecting the A2 motorway with the S11 expressway. These projects further establish STRABAG’s role in Poland’s mobility infrastructure sector.
