The Quebrada Blanca Phase 2 (QB2) project, the largest investment project currently under way in Chile, at a cost of US$5 billion, has halted construction. Teck Resources, the Canadian company that owns the project, announced the temporary suspension due to the coronavirus.
The miner said the suspension will be for an initial two-week period, at which time Teck will reassess the status of the project. The temporary cessation will affect about 15,000 workers.
Taking into account the size and significant scale of the QB2 project, and the large number of commuters throughout Chile, this is the right decision to protect the health and safety of them and their families, and to support the efforts by the Chilean government to stop the spread of Covid-19, President and CEO Don Lindsay said.
The suspension is immediate and workers will demobilize in the coming days.
The company also said there have been no confirmed cases of coronavirus associated with QB2 employees or contractors.
An update on the QB2 project will be given during the annual conference call to investors and analysts on April 1.
