Marcobre

What Marcobre does

Marcobre is a privately held Peruvian mining company that operates Mina Justa, a single-asset open-pit copper mine located 35 km from San Juan de Marcona in the Ica region of Peru. The company was founded in 2013 and is jointly owned by Minsur (60%, part of Peru's Breca conglomerate) and Alxar Internacional (40%, part of Chile's Empresas Copec). Its core products are Copper Concentrate, produced at a 7 Mt/year Sulfide Plant via crushing, grinding, and flotation, and high-purity Grade A Copper Cathodes, produced at a 12 Mt/year Oxides Plant via leaching, solvent extraction, and electrowinning. In 2025 the operation produced 130,964 tonnes of fine copper (5% growth year-over-year) and has a planned 16-year mine life.

Marcobre's technology positioning rests on process-engineering rather than AI: the oxides plant features the world's largest leaching vats and fastest leaching cycle, and operates the first fully robotized cathode stripping machine in the Southern Hemisphere. The operation runs on 100% seawater drawn through a 35+ km pipeline, recycles 100% of process water, and discharges zero liquid. A GISTM-aligned tailings storage facility with 103 Mt total authorized capacity underpins the asset. Sales are B2B direct to international smelters and industrial manufacturers, priced against LME benchmarks through long-term contracts and spot market sales, with logistics handled through Marcobre's own Terminal Portuario Mina Justa.

The commercial strategy pairs commodity production with an unusually deep ESG and community-engagement posture: ISO 9001:2025, ISO 37001:2016, The Copper Mark, ICMM membership, EITI participation, 97% social acceptance in Marcona, 740 local jobs, and $4.2M+ in local commercial exchanges in 2025. This positioning functions as a market-access credential for ESG-screened buyers and as a social license to operate in a country where mining-community conflicts are a recurring operational risk. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; based on 2025 production of ~131,000 tonnes of fine copper and LME price assumptions, the company operates in the $1B–$5B revenue band, consolidating into its two large parent groups.

Name

Marcobre

Legal name

Marcobre

Website

https://marcobre.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Marcobre is a privately held Peruvian mining company (Minsur 60% / Alxar Internacional 40%) that operates the Mina Justa open-pit copper mine in Ica, Peru, producing 130,964 tonnes of fine copper in 2025 as Copper Concentrate and Grade A Copper Cathodes sold B2B to international smelters and industrial manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Copper Mining

NAICS

Copper, Nickel, Lead, and Zinc Mining (212230)

SIC

Metal Mining (1000)

akta.pro primary industry

Copper Ore Mining (Open-Pit & Underground) (IMAKADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Copper Concentration (Crushing, Grinding, Flotation) (IMAKADAC), Copper Anode/Cathode Production & Handling (IMAKADAG), Copper Tailings, Waste & Water Management (IMAKADAL)

Keywords

• Open-pit copper mining
• Copper concentrate production
• Copper cathode production
• Mineral processing services
• Seawater mining operations

Headquarters

HQ city

San Borja

HQ country

Peru

HQ region

Latin America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Copper Concentrate Sales: Copper concentrate produced at the Sulfide Plant (processing capacity of 7 million tonnes/year) is sold internationally to smelters as an intermediate product. Concentrate contains 20–40% copper along with other minerals and is transported via Marcobre's own port terminal.
2. Copper Cathode Sales: High-purity Grade A copper cathodes produced at the Oxides Plant (processing capacity of 12 million tonnes/year) are sold internationally. Cathodes are the final product of the electrowinning process and are traded as a commodity in international markets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Marcobre operates the Mina Justa open-pit copper mine in the Ica region of Peru, producing Copper Concentrate at a 7 Mt/year Sulfide Plant (crushing, grinding, flotation) and Grade A Copper Cathodes at a 12 Mt/year Oxides Plant (leaching, solvent extraction, electrowinning). Both products are sold internationally to copper smelters and industrial manufacturers, with logistics handled through Marcobre's own port terminal (Terminal Portuario Mina Justa) at San Juan de Marcona. The mine has a planned 16-year operational life and uses 100% seawater in its processing circuit, with a 35+ km pipeline.

Product overview

Marcobre operates the Mina Justa mining unit, an open-pit copper mine with a 16-year operational life located in the Ica region of Peru. The operation comprises two processing plants: the Sulfuros plant (with 7 million tons/year processing capacity producing Copper Concentrate) and the Óxidos plant (with 12 million tons/year processing capacity producing Copper Cathodes). Both products are sold to international markets. Mina Justa also includes a multiboya terminal for receiving sulfuric acid and a seawater intake system extending 35 km from the coast.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Copper Concentrate (Concentrado de Cobre) Intermediate copper product in the form of a fine dark-gray powder containing 20-40% copper along with other minerals, produced at the Sulfide Plant (7 million tonnes/year) through crushing, grinding, and flotation. Sold internationally to copper smelters who refine it into high-purity copper. The product is transported via Marcobre's own port terminal (Terminal Portuario Mina Justa) at San Juan de Marcona.
• Grade A Copper Cathodes (Cátodos de Cobre) High-purity copper plates produced at the Oxides Plant (12 million tonnes/year capacity) through leaching, solvent extraction, and electrowinning (electroobtención). Sold internationally as a final commodity product to industrial manufacturers of cables, electrical components, electronics, and copper alloys. The product benefits from the first fully robotized cathode stripping machine (MDC) in the Southern Hemisphere.

Quantifiable outcome

• 130,964 tonnes fine copper produced in 2025, a 5% increase year-over-year
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ISA Rep and GORE Ica (Gobierno Regional de Ica)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2021Strategic alliance between Minsur, ISA Rep, and GORE Ica for the S/. 32 million 'Obras por Impuestos' project to modernize and expand the IESTP Luis Felipe de las Casas Grieve technology institute in Marcona, which became the second-best equipped and most modern institute in Peru.
• ICMM (International Council on Mining and Metals)coreOthersMinsur has been a member of ICMM since 2018. As part of its 2023 commitments, ICMM conducted an independent performance expectations self-assessment at Marcobre's Mina Justa operation, validated by PwC.
• The Copper MarkcoreOthersThe Copper Mark is the primary assurance framework for responsible copper production. Marcobre initiated alignment in 2023 and completed certification in 2024, implementing action plans across supply chain, environmental protection, and community contribution criteria.
• Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)coreOthersEITI is the global standard for governance and transparency in extractive industries. Marcobre participates in and supports EITI, periodically reporting on environmental, social, and governance performance.
• UGEL de NascaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with UGEL de Nasca (Local Education Management Unit) for the 'Líderes del Cambio' program, strengthening social, verbal, and math skills in school-age children in the Marcona area.
• Instituto Tecnológico de MarconaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance with the Instituto Tecnológico de Marcona for 'Capacitaciones para la Vida' (Trainings for Life) program, providing instruction in construction and mining disciplines with emphasis on women from the local influence area.
• SERNANP (Servicio Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas por el Estado)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with SERNANP to install infrastructure contributing to the tourism appeal of San Fernando National Reserve and Punta San Juan Natural Reserve, positioning Marcona as a tourism destination.
• The Living Oceans AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with The Living Oceans Association to publish the book and traveling exhibition 'Punta San Juan, una historia de conservación', documenting the marine biodiversity of Punta San Juan Natural Reserve.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BHP Group: Operates Escondida and Pampa Norte in Chile, the world's largest open-pit copper operations. Broad incumbent peer for benchmark cost-curve and ESG positioning rather than direct head-to-head competition.
• Teck Resources: Diversified miner with major copper assets including Quebrada Blanca in Chile. Broad incumbent peer for benchmark cost and ESG comparisons, particularly relevant given its high water-stress and tailings operating profile similar to Mina Justa.
• Freeport-McMoRan: One of the world's largest publicly listed copper producers (with operations like Cerro Verde in Peru). Broader incumbent peer given global scale and Peruvian footprint, but with a much larger and more diversified asset base than Marcobre.

Direct peers

• Southern Copper Corporation: One of the world's largest integrated copper producers with major open-pit mines in Peru (Toquepala, Cuajone) producing both concentrate and cathode. Direct peer given Peruvian copper exposure and dual concentrate/cathode product streams.
• MMG Limited: Operates Las Bambas, a large open-pit copper mine in Peru producing copper concentrate. Closest operational analogue to Marcobre given single-asset Peru footprint, concentrate-based revenue mix, and similar mid-tier production scale.
• Antofagasta PLC: Chile-based copper miner operating Centinela, Los Pelambres and Antucoya — open-pit copper mines producing concentrate and cathodes. Closely comparable on product mix, processing architecture (concentrate + SX-EW cathode), and water-constrained coastal operations.
• Capstone Copper: Mid-tier copper producer operating Pinto Valley (US) and Mantos Blancos (Chile), plus Mantoverde (Chile) following the 2022 commissioning. Comparable scale and copper-only focus, though without Marcobre's single-asset concentration.
• Hudbay Minerals: Mid-tier copper miner with Peruvian exposure (Constancia mine) producing copper concentrate. Comparable mid-scale, single-country copper producer with similar concentrate-driven revenue model.
• Glencore (Antapaccay): Owns Antapaccay, a Peruvian open-pit copper mine producing copper concentrate. Comparable in geography, product mix (concentrate), and integration into global smelter supply chains.
• Anglo American (Quellaveco): Operates Quellaveco, a major open-pit copper mine in southern Peru producing copper concentrate and molybdenum. Highly comparable as a large-scale, recently-built Peruvian copper asset with strong ESG positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@marcobre6399
• Facebookfacebook.com/marcobreoficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marcobre
• Instagraminstagram.com/marcobreperuoficial

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Marcobre