Aguas Esperanza

What Aguas Esperanza does

Aguas Esperanza is a Chilean private infrastructure company that owns and operates Seawater Impulsion Systems (SIAM) supplying untreated seawater to mining operations in the Antofagasta Region. Its core asset, SIAM I, was operational since 2010 and was acquired by Aguas Esperanza in early 2024; it provides 100% of the seawater needs for Antofagasta Minerals' Centinela and Antucoya operations. A second system, SIAM II, is under construction and is purpose-built to supply seawater to Antofagasta Minerals' Nueva Centinela mining expansion project.

The underlying technology is proprietary large-scale seawater impulsion infrastructure — pipelines and pumping stations that transport untreated seawater from the Pacific coast to inland mining operations in Chile's arid north. SIAM I has been deployed since 2010, and SIAM II is being constructed parallel to the existing aqueduct. The company's value proposition rests on reliability and scale of seawater delivery, eliminating the need for freshwater desalination for mining customers, and supporting compliance with environmental and water-scarcity constraints in the region.

The business model is infrastructure-based B2B recurring revenue: long-term contracts to supply seawater to large-scale mining operators, with revenue tied to mining production volumes and operational capacity. The company sells exclusively to Antofagasta Minerals (Centinela, Antucoya, and future Nueva Centinela) through direct enterprise engagement. The company is backed by a 1.14 trillion CLP debt financing arranged in 2024 to fund SIAM II, and the deal won the 'Natural Resources Finance Deal of the Year' from Global Banking & Markets. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated contractually.

Name

Aguas Esperanza

Legal name

Aguas Esperanza

Website

https://aguasesperanza.cl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Aguas Esperanza owns and operates proprietary seawater impulsion systems (SIAM I and SIAM II) that supply untreated seawater from the Pacific to Antofagasta Minerals' mining operations in Chile's Antofagasta Region. The company serves a single anchor customer with long-term infrastructure contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Water Supply Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Desalination Plant EPC, O&M & Performance Optimization (EUANAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Water Storage & Conveyance Structures (Tanks, Reservoirs, Canals, Ponds) (AFAAACAH)

Keywords

• Seawater supply services
• Industrial water infrastructure
• Mining water solutions
• Seawater impulsion systems
• Water supply pipelines

Headquarters

HQ city

Santiago

HQ country

Chile

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Seawater Supply to Mining Operations: Long-term contractual supply of untreated seawater to mining companies. Revenue generated through water supply agreements with Antofagasta Minerals operations. Infrastructure-based recurring revenue model tied to mining production volumes and operational needs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Aguas Esperanza owns and operates two proprietary Seawater Impulsion Systems (SIAM I and SIAM II) that pump and transport untreated seawater from the Pacific Ocean to mining operations in Chile's Antofagasta Region. SIAM I, acquired in early 2024, supplies 100% of the seawater needs for Centinela and Antucoya mining operations, while SIAM II is under construction to serve the Nueva Centinela expansion project. The company provides sustainable, untreated seawater supply as an alternative to freshwater desalination for large-scale mining clients.

Product overview

Aguas Esperanza operates two seawater impulsion systems (SIAM I and SIAM II) that provide untreated seawater to Antofagasta Minerals mining operations in the Antofagasta Region of Chile. SIAM I, acquired in early 2024, currently serves Centinela and Antucoya operations. SIAM II, under construction alongside the existing aqueduct, will support the Nueva Centinela expansion project.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SIAM I (Sistema de Impulsión de Agua de Mar I) First seawater impulsion system, operational since 2010 and acquired by Aguas Esperanza in early 2024. Supplies untreated seawater to 100% of the Centinela and Antucoya mining operations of Antofagasta Minerals in the Antofagasta Region of Chile.
• SIAM II (Sistema de Impulsión de Agua de Mar II) Second seawater impulsion system currently under construction parallel to the existing aqueduct, designed to supply untreated seawater to the Nueva Centinela mining expansion project of Antofagasta Minerals in the Antofagasta Region of Chile.

Quantifiable outcome

• SIAM I supplies 100% of seawater needs for Centinela and Antucoya operations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Antofagasta MineralscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary customer and strategic partner. Antofagasta Minerals operates the Centinela, Antucoya, and Nueva Centinela mining operations that receive seawater supply from Aguas Esperanza's SIAM systems. The company acquired SIAM I and is constructing SIAM II specifically to serve Antofagasta Minerals' mining expansion needs.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Metito Utilities: Developer and operator of industrial water and desalination projects with mining-sector exposure in Latin America; comparable as a smaller-scale specialist aiming at the same industrial customer wallet as Aguas Esperanza.
• Cadagua (Veolia): EPC contractor for industrial and municipal water and wastewater treatment plants, including seawater systems for mining clients; competes on engineering, construction, and O&M capabilities similar to Aguas Esperanza.
• IDE Technologies: Israel-based designer and operator of desalination and water treatment plants, including industrial-grade SWRO for mining and energy customers; comparable as a technology and project developer competing for industrial seawater contracts.

Broad incumbents

• Doosan Enpure (Doosan Heavy Industries): Major global EPC contractor for large seawater desalination and water treatment plants serving industrial clients including mining; overlaps with Aguas Esperanza's technology stack and customer type.
• Acciona Agua: Global EPC and concession operator of large-scale desalination and water treatment plants serving municipal and industrial clients, including mining customers in Latin America; directly comparable to Aguas Esperanza as a competing supplier of industrial-grade water infrastructure.
• Sacyr Agua: Operates and finances water treatment and desalination concessions worldwide, with growing exposure to mining and industrial customers; competes for the same industrial water supply contracts that Aguas Esperanza targets in Chile.

Direct peers

• Veolia Chile (Veolia Aguas de Antofagasta): Local water utility operating in the same Antofagasta Region and providing water and sanitation services to industrial and municipal customers, including the mining sector; closest regional comparable to Aguas Esperanza's service area and contract structure.
• Aguas de Antofagasta (ESSAN): Regional water utility serving residential, commercial, and industrial customers in the Antofagasta Region; directly comparable given overlapping geography, regulated water concession model, and industrial demand profile.

Regional players

• Aguas Andinas (related Sempra asset): Chile's largest water utility serving Santiago and surrounding regions under a regulated concession model; provides a comparable benchmark for Chilean water utility economics, even though it does not currently supply seawater to mining customers.

Others

• Codelco (División Radomiro Tomic / Ministro Hales): Chilean state-owned copper miner with its own large-scale water supply infrastructure in northern Chile; relevant as the principal adjacent mining counterparty whose own in-house seawater projects define the competitive set Aguas Esperanza must position against for non-Antofagasta Minerals mines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aguas-esperanza

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Aguas Esperanza