Por: Enrique Herrera Alarcón y Manuel Munguía Aguirre, Fundición Ilo, Southern Perú.AbstractSouthern Peru's Ilo Copper Smelter started operations in 1960 with the Toquepala project, in 1976 it expanded with the Cuajone project, and in 1995 began its modernization process with the implementation of a Teniente converter and Sulfuric Acid and Oxygen Plants to reduce gaseous emissions of sulfur dioxide to the environment. In 2007, the Ilo Smelter modernization project was commissioned, with the implementation of an "Isasmelt" smelting furnace to replace the Teniente reverberatory and converter furnaces, and additional sulfuric acid and oxygen plants of greater capacity in order to capture sulfur from the concentrates above 92%, which became the environmental project with the largest investment in the history of the country. This paper describes the most significant results derived from the implementation of this project, both in environmental and operational aspects, and its future prospects in order to ensure the sustainability of its operational continuity and its significant contribution to the economy for the development of the region and the country.
