Could you provide an overview of Calidra and its presence in Peru and Latin America, including its evolution and history?

Calidra is a leading lime manufacturer and solutions provider, with a rich history that dates back 120 years. Our company was founded by a group of Mexican investors and has since grown to become the number one lime producer in Latin America, with an annual production of 4.5 million tonnes. Our main markets include Mexico, Honduras, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, and Peru, and we plan to expand our activities to Ecuador soon.

We entered the Peruvian market in 2012, and our initial activities involved the construction of an oven for lime fusion. We officially started our operations in 2015, and since then, we have consistently provided our products and services to the Peruvian market, focusing on the mining, construction, steel, foundry, and water treatment sectors.

Could you elaborate on Calidra’s main mining clients and its product portfolio, and explain what type of processes your products apply to?

Calidra is one of the top three lime producers and sellers in Peru, with a portfolio that mainly includes quicklime. We supply our products primarily in bulk and work mostly in medium and small mining, but we are increasing our participation in large mining as well. Our main strategic partners in the large mining industry include Minsur, Chinalco, Hudbay, Buenaventura, and Aruntani Group.

We have broken two important paradigms in the Peruvian market. Firstly, large mining companies are already considering having more than one supplier of lime as it is critical to their operation. Secondly, we have developed an advanced logistics system that enables us to have a privileged position in the whole country, overcoming long distances.

How does Calidra differentiate itself from other lime providers in the Latin American market?

Apart from our product, we differentiate ourselves from our competitors by offering an immediate response capacity and remarkable technical support, which have been developed throughout our 120 years of experience. Our high adaptability allows us to adjust to the characteristics of each market, to the type of product, to the type of process, and our staff is always present to support clients. What makes us stand out is the constant quality and reactivity of our products, which can significantly help different mining processes and adapt to the requirements of each process.

What differences do you see between Peru and Mexico as mining jurisdictions?

Both Peru and Mexico are countries with abundant mineral reserves and long mining traditions. However, Mexico is more advantageous in terms of permitting, as processes are faster and less restrictive. Road access is also more challenging in Peru, as the country has a more rugged topography and infrastructure projects are less developed. Another important difference between both countries is that large-scale, open-pit mining is much more prevalent in Peru, while underground mining is more widespread in Mexico.

Could you discuss Calidra’s approach to sustainability in terms of security, environment, and corporate social responsibility?

Calidra’s sustainability goals include reaching zero accidents and zero environmental incidents, reducing our carbon footprint, and using renewable energies. We have already worked with eolic and photovoltaic energy in Mexico, and we are setting up a project with photovoltaic energy in Peru for the first time. Calidra also makes substantial efforts to have a good relationship with local communities, especially by hiring local people to work in our facilities.

Our Process Safety Assurance (PSA) project encompasses the three dimensions of security, environment, and social responsibility. This methodology has already been implemented in Mexico, and since the beginning of 2021, we have worked to apply it in Peru as well.