Editing Copper extraction (section)

===21st century===
In the 2013-2023 period the copper smelting capacity in China and Zambia have increased while the capacity in Chile and the United States have decreased.<ref name=jorge>{{Cite web |title=La compleja discusión sobre una nueva fundición en Chile |url=https://www.mch.cl/columnas/la-compleja-discusion-sobre-una-nueva-fundicion-en-chile/ |last=Pedrals |first=Jorge |date=2023-06-17 |access-date=2025-04-22|language=es |website=Minería Chilena}}</ref> China has by far the largest capacity for copper smelting with over half of the world's total. Besides the previously mentioned countries other countries where there is a significant installed cathode production capacity of the world's total as of 2023 are Japan (8%), Russia (5%), Poland (3-4%) and Bulgaria (3-4%).<ref name=jorge/> 

Since the 1990s no new copper smelter have been built in Chile.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Una nueva fundición para Chile. Posible y necesaria |url=https://cesco.cl/una-nueva-fundicion-para-chile-posible-y-necesaria/ |date=2023-07-17 |access-date=2025-04-22 |website=CESCO |language=es}}</ref> Following the 2022 closure of [[Fundición Ventanas]] in central Chile there have been a public discussion on building a new large copper smelter in Chile.<ref name=jorge/> [[Antofagasta Region]] or [[Atacama Region]] has been proposed by Chilean industry scholars as viable replacements.<ref name=ToroMunita>{{Cite news |title=Cierre de fundición Ventanas: El intrincado debate por dónde instalar una nueva planta y los costos asociados |url=https://www.emol.com/noticias/Nacional/2022/06/24/1064886/codelco-ventanas-instalar-nueva-fundicion.html |last1=Toro |first1=Daniela |date=2022-06-25 |access-date=2022-06-26 |work=[[El Mercurio|Emol]] |last2=Munita |first2=Ignacia |language=Spanish}}</ref> Others have argued for keeping smelting in Valparaíso Region given the existence of nearby mines.<ref name=ToroMunita/> While some argue the replacement plant should be near the coast, inland [[Chuquicamata]] and [[El Salvador mine|El Salvador]] have also been proposed as alternatives.<ref name=ToroMunita/> The president of the National Mining Society (Sonami), Diego Hernández, estimates the construction period for a new smelter plant to be 5 to 7 years.<ref name=ToroMunita/> A 2024 study identified Antofagasta Region as the best place for a new copper smelter given logistical advantages and an existing and expandable supply of [[copper concentrate]] from nearby mines.<ref name=nuevaf>{{Cite thesis |title=Nueva Fundición de Cobre en Chile |last=Pacheco Zamora |first=Sebastián Patricio |access-date=2025-04-21 |degree=Industrial Engineering |publisher=[[University of Chile]] |url=https://repositorio.uchile.cl/bitstream/handle/2250/204037/Nueva-fundicion-de-cobre-en-Chile.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |language=es}}</ref>

The [[Guixi Smelter]] in inland southeastern China is the world's largest copper smelter by capacity.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 April 2024 |title=China's copper smelters to discuss fees as crisis roils sector |url=https://www.mining.com/web/chinas-copper-smelters-to-discuss-fees-as-crisis-roils-sector/ |access-date=20 April 2025 |website=mining.com}}</ref> In 2015 it had an annual production capacity of 900,000 tons of copper.<ref name="sona"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=6 March 2025 |title=Guixi copper smelter |url=https://www.woodmac.com/reports/metals-guixi-copper-smelter-19112982/ |access-date=20 April 2025 |website=woodmac.com}}</ref>