President Javier Milei reiterated his support for PSJ Cobre Mendocino and highlighted its potential to reenergize Mendoza’s mining sector. Following legislative debate, the initiative secured final approval today, backed by an estimated investment of US$559 million, reactivating a metalliferous mining project in the province after nearly two decades.
By Panorama Minero
Ahead of the legislative session for the San Jorge Cobre Mendocino Project, Milei reaffirmed his view of mining as one of the three key “drivers” of national economic growth. Hours later, the provincial legislature approved the Environmental Impact Statement (DIA), allowing the project to advance into feasibility and reposition Mendoza on the national copper map.
Late Monday afternoon, President Milei issued a strong message of support for the initiative led by Governor Alfredo Cornejo:
“Tomorrow, the Mendoza Legislature has the enormous opportunity to give final approval to the PSJ Cobre Mendocino Project, which will bring an investment of 600 million dollars to launch a mine capable of producing 40,000 tonnes per year of copper concentrate,” he posted on X.
According to Milei, approving the project represents “the closest the province has been to definitively launching mining activity in Mendoza in the past 20 years.” He also reiterated that the “new Argentina” will grow by leveraging three pillars: agriculture, energy, and mining.
Following the legislative vote, the president reinforced his position by retweeting a post celebrating the Senate decision, which passed with more than 80% affirmative votes, describing the outcome as “the beginning of a new chapter for mining in Mendoza.”
Legislative Approval and a Turning Point for Mining in Mendoza?
In late November, PSJ Cobre Mendocino obtained initial approval in the provincial Chamber of Deputies with 32 votes in favor and 13 against, reversing the unanimous rejection recorded fourteen years earlier.
On Tuesday, December 9, the provincial Senate reviewed the project and approved it with 29 affirmative votes, 6 negative votes, and 1 abstention, granting the political authorization required under Article 3 of Law 7.722.
With this decision, PSJ Cobre Mendocino becomes the first metalliferous mining project in Mendoza to surpass this legislative threshold since 2007, marking a potential turning point for the province’s productive structure.
The investment stands at US$559 million, including US$461 million for construction and US$81 million allocated to the project’s initial operational phase.
Legislative approval allows the company to begin the feasibility stage, expected to take six to twelve months. Once completed, the project would move into construction, estimated to require 18 to 24 months.
As Milei noted, the updated technical design anticipates sustained output of 40,000 tonnes of fine copper per year, with an initial mine life of 16 years, extendable to 27 years subject to further exploration.
Institutional Context: Statements from the Director of Mining
Following the vote, Mendoza’s Director of Mining, Jerónimo Shantal, emphasized that the legislative decision reflects “a collective commitment to a Mendoza that moves forward, creates employment, and diversifies its economy under modern environmental standards.”
Shantal noted that the outcome is possible due to “teams that work with rigor and strategic vision,” and underscored that the approval advances “environmental stewardship and the strengthening of public oversight.”
He added that the province is “taking a significant step toward a more robust productive matrix and toward new opportunities for young people in Mendoza,” stressing that this milestone “is not an endpoint, but the beginning of a new phase.”
