Marimaca Copper has received environmental approval for the Marimaca oxide project, marking a major milestone in the development of its copper operations in Chile.  

The approval, granted through a formal Resolución de Calificación Ambiental (RCA), moves the project closer to construction readiness. 

The RCA was issued to Marimaca Copper’s Chilean subsidiary, Marimaca NewCo Limitada, for the project, which is located in the low coastal cordillera of the Antofagasta region.  

This approval follows the company’s submission of its Declaración de Impacto Ambiental (Environmental Impact Statement) in December 2024. 

According to Marimaca Copper, the RCA was granted after several years of baseline environmental studies, social and archaeological data collection, voluntary stakeholder engagement programmes, and technical and project engineering studies.  

This comprehensive approach was intended to meet the environmental and social requirements set by Chilean authorities. 

With the RCA approved, Marimaca Copper can proceed to the next phase of permitting activities, which involves obtaining the sectorial permits.  

These auxiliary permits are necessary for various stages of the project’s construction and operation.  

Marimaca Copper president and CEO Hayden Locke said: "On behalf of our board and shareholders, I would like to extend our thanks and congratulations to our Chilean team for the significant milestone Marimaca has achieved. They have been the architects and executors of our permitting strategy, which is the culmination of several years of planning and preparation.  

"It has been a challenging week for the company with the sudden loss of Colin Kinley, a steadfast supporter of the team’s permitting strategy, and we are proud to achieve this milestone as a reflection of his commitment to Marimaca’s success." 

Marimaca Copper has indicated that the Marimaca oxide project remains on track to be construction-ready in the second half of 2026, following the completion of the necessary permitting steps. 

Locke added: "Our focus now shifts to the critical path for final investment decision and project sanctioning, for which we have set ourselves the ambitious target of being ready in the second half of 2026. 

"Exploration efforts at Pampa Medina continues, and we are increasingly confident in our long-term growth strategy beyond the 50Ktpa [kilotonnes per annum] of copper production contemplated in our definitive feasibility study. We expect to release a Pampa Medina exploration update to the market in the very near term.

"There is a sense of real momentum gathering behind us here at Marimaca and we are truly excited for the next stage of development as a company."