Peru Projects $4.8 Billion in Mining Investment for 2025 Amid Rising Informal Mining Concerns
Peru’s Minister of Energy and Mines, Jorge Montero, announced on Tuesday that the country expects to attract $4.8 billion in mining investment this year, with copper production projected to reach 2.8 million metric tons.
The projection marks a slight increase from 2024, when Peru produced approximately 2.7 million tons of the red metal.
Speaking at a press conference, Montero also raised concerns about the growing presence of informal and illegal mining in two key copper-producing regions—Apurímac and Arequipa, both located in southern Peru.
Apurímac is home to Las Bambas, one of the country’s largest copper mines operated by China’s MMG, while Canadian company Teck, in partnership with Mitsubishi Materials, is developing the Zafranal copper project in Arequipa.
Montero noted that the rise in artisanal copper mining has provided crucial income for impoverished communities in the Andean highlands.
However, it has also intensified tensions between informal miners and large-scale mining operations.
In northern Peru, authorities are contending with a surge in illegal gold mining activities. This includes a recent violent incident in which 13 mine workers were killed, highlighting the growing security risks associated with unregulated mining.
